


Perpetual White

by jarbelle



Series: wandering the manor of dreams [1]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Forbidden Love, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Burn, but its all fictional dont worry i dont know history, historic period, tiny bits of kiho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:33:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25443985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jarbelle/pseuds/jarbelle
Summary: Chae Hyungwon follows his father the folklorist into the mountains to document the traditions and customs of a village hidden deep in the forest. There, he meets a young man with white hair dressed in a white robe, and finds himself face to face with the dark truth and subsequently presented with the choice to keep on living weighed down by past regrets and loss, or put them to sleep forever.
Relationships: Chae Hyungwon/Lee Minhyuk
Series: wandering the manor of dreams [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1842895
Comments: 13
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello just wanna say excuse me in advance this was written in a state of mental deterioration.  
> [in my best attendant voice] First of all, pls have a look at the archive warnings, as you can see I CHOSE not to put any because spoilers are bad and idk why i just dont like it. I might update it when the story progress though we'll see.
> 
> Everything is fictional btw. Putting it out there.
> 
> This story was inspired by one of my favorite old video games, the Fatal Frame series, particularly the third one. It doesn't totally follow the plot, but i just borrowed some ideas to complete my own original ideas that i had for this story because they fit really well so i just went with it :) 
> 
> So if you are familiar with the series or just ff3 then you know, if you're not, there's no need to have prior knowledge about it anyway, so why don't you go ahead and read this? Enjoy!

Hyungwon sees water everywhere. It’s dark where he is, floating, underwater, _drowning_.

But he sees a sliver of white somewhere in the darkness, tries to reach for it, but finds that it was only the crescent moon looming over him from the night sky above.

He surfaces, he wakes up from his dream.

Hyungwon opens his eyes with great difficulty when the carriage comes to a halt. Stretching forward a little from momentum before it settles back on its wheels with a slight heave. The horses are restless on their feet still, but stay in one place.

The surrounding area around Hyungwon buzzes with insects when he fully awakes, the memory of the dream already hazy and dissipating as he removes the book off his face, squinting to look around. There’s a crow squawking outside.

The carriage immediately shakes as his father gets off from the other side. Hyungwon follows, pocketing his book into the belt of his robe and then pulling their things out of the carriage.

The orange colored trees in the forest are rustling with the autumn wind, and Hyungwon looks around his surroundings as he hoists his bag over his shoulder. The black squawking crow flies off a tree’s branch at the horses’ neighing.

There are only trees around him, unlike the town he had come from—already bustling with machines people call cars, that move and speed up on its wheels without the help of horses. They are convenient, but they make too much smoke, Hyungwon doesn’t think those machines would last if they keep doing that.

There are also machines that are built to kill and destroy, and Hyungwon doesn’t know if those would last too.

“Just go on up ahead. It’s going to be a bit of a hike but keep an eye for the sacred stone markers along the way, it shall lead you to the village,” their coachman says to them once they get all their things off the carriage.

Hyungwon turns around to look for a stone marker as his father pays the coachman and talks about their arrangement for him to pick them up after they finish their business in the mountains. He finds one, by a tree. Just a small, upright slab of stone. There are characters carved on the stone and they’re believed to protect travelers to ensure their safety along their way to their destinations. They don’t have them as much now, in the town. Deities only reside in shrines. 

But a village hidden within the trees and two mountains like this would have them everywhere, that’s a given Hyungwon’s thinking.

The horses whine a little as they turn around, and start to leave the two travelers in the forest.

Hyungwon looks at his father expectantly.

The old man raises his eyebrows, and just starts walking up the path filled with dead leaves. “It shouldn’t be too long of a hike,” he tells his son, who follows along obediently. Agreed to follow him on his work of putting down folklore on paper. “We shouldn’t miss the entrance gate.”

The forest is peaceful at the time of the day, even though it gets colder as they walk. Hyungwon’s glad he’s worn two layers of thick robes for this.

It isn’t long— after a few more stone markers that they see tall, red posts erected in the middle of the forest, with now more visible path that will lead up to the village on the mountain. The entrance gate. His father urges him to speed up, walking uphill and then finally, they are looking over a whole village, and smiling people welcoming them.

“We have been expecting your arrival, Mr. Chae,” An old woman dressed in thick, white robe decorated with some sort of blue pattern at the hems approaches his father. Upon a closer look Hyungwon realizes they’re vines of some sort. The patterns she has on her robes and the white headdress on her head gives her an aura of authority over the others standing behind her as they are only wearing plain, dark robes.

They all bow to each other including Hyungwon, in which she introduces herself as the head of the village. High Priestess Lee.

His father introduces himself too, a folklorist from the town outside, and then gestures to Hyungwon, his son who’s only following him there to help with his work. He apologizes for bringing in an extra, unannounced guest, and said that his son has just finished his scholarly term recently and has been having too much leisure time lately. At their insistence that it is fine, he thanks them all for allowing them to come and document their unique rituals. Hyungwon was informed it was a rare opportunity to be able to document and experience the ritual in this particular village, and his father, who was always the passionate folklorist seized the chance the moment it presented itself to him.

The High Priestess nods her head at all the pleasantries exchanged, eyes remaining on Hyungwon after Hyungwon has introduced himself, and tells them all people are always welcomed to document their rituals.

“They’re what has kept our village safe all these times, especially the Full Moon Ritual,” she mutters, looking proud of the village’s unique beliefs and customs. “Now follow along, I will show you to where you two will be staying.”

The guards, judging by their outfits and sheathed weapons in the back, help them with their things, and they walk through the village with the Head of the village leading the way.

Hyungwon’s father easily converses with everyone welcoming them, while Hyungwon looks around the village as they walk.

The houses are built close to each other, he can see some mothers hanging laundries from large wooden tub. The sun shines so gently that particular day, makes for good weather late autumn.

They pass by a small shrine, where a priest is talking to a villager lighting up some incense. There are children running around too, playing with carved wooden toys. He smiles at the sight of the children, inadvertently catching the eyes of one of the guards helping him with his bag. The guard is a bit shorter than him, but boasts strength with the easy way he’s carrying the heavy bag filled with books. They seem to be close in age.

So he gives the shorter man a smile, remembering it’s always good to be friendly in a place he’s unfamiliar with, and the young man smiles back, albeit hesitantly. The folklorist’s son doesn’t fail to notice how nervous the guard looks, and wondered if he was personally hesitant to welcome outsiders into the village.

He knows some places aren’t very welcoming for outsiders, an unfortunate experience his father had shared with him after years of working as a folklorist.

They’re led to the Lee manor, the biggest building in the village, which is apparently where the Lee family resides. Looking up at it, the manor seemed to have built almost haphazardly, some of the tile roofs are black, covered with moss, while another part of the manor’s roof tiles look fresher. Yet with many extensions done it still possesses the sense of cohesiveness as one house. At the eastern wing, they could see a construction for an extension still in progress.

“We take in those who have no one else to care for them into the manor,” The High Priestess explains. “As a result, you might find the shrine maidens, priests, and even guards living under the same roof. Everyone is always welcomed inside.”

Deeper inside, in the back and up on the mountain, they are told, is where the Moon Shrine is located, where the special Full Moon Ritual will take place. It only happens in a few generations they are informed. They are lucky that the ritual will be held in this generation.

Hyungwon’s father has already begun taking notes.

And the Lee manor boasts so many rooms, the hearth room in the center sporting a giant hearth that keeps the place warm. It is easy to imagine all the residents of the manor gathering there to have some hot tea in the middle of a cold season, just sitting in a big circle around the giant hearth.

Hyungwon and his father are given one room each on the second floor that shares a tea room in the middle. The teapot sits still on the small hearth, unused. Both of their rooms are simply separated by sliding paper doors. 

Hyungwon dares to think the room they have provided is even better than his room back in town, walking over to the windows overlooking the small enclosed garden on the ground floor, where a pond ripples with the movements of inhabiting koi fishes.

When Hyungwon lights one of the lanterns in the room, he finds the flame lights up in the color blue. His father tells him he’s read about it before, the blue flame symbolizes their respect for the moon in the nights.

They were left to unpack their things, and Hyungwon helps his father jot down some details of their arrival into their logbook, taking care of his sleeves as he writes with a thin brush. They have quite some time to themselves before they would be called for dinner together with the big family.

“What do you think of the village?” His father asks.

“It’s nice,” he answers absentmindedly, dipping the brush into the ink.

“Would anything serve as inspiration for your poems?”

Hyungwon just smiles at the old man. The trees and mountains are a good change of scenery. But he doesn’t know yet.

The time for dinner comes quickly, what with Hyungwon preoccupied with his book of poetries and his father with the letter he’s writing to his wife to inform her of their safe arrival in the village.

And they were ushered by playful shrine maidens— who kept nudging at each other through the hallways— into a huge banquet room located on the first floor, where meals are already served on small wooden tables for each and every one in the room.

“We have prepared feasts especially for your arrival,” one of the maidens who has introduced herself as Dahyun has said when she pushed the door open. She bows as she gestures for them to step into the room, her rather crisp white robe top crinkling sharply as she does so. Accompanying the white top is an oversized pair of red pants that is tied at the back of her waist into a cute red bow, resembling the bow on her hair too, keeping her hair tied neatly. She looks a few years younger than Hyungwon, and so is her companion, Mina, who had giggled into her long sleeves when she met eyes with Hyungwon that he received a knowing nudge from his father.

Unlike all the other paper doors in the house, the surfaces of the ones in the banquet room are painted with scenery of the moon overlooking the mountains, and unlike the other parts of the manor, the lanterns are lit in the color that is rather bluish white— brighter than the lanterns in back in the bedroom— making the room look festive.

Hyungwon and his father take the only empty seats in the room. When Hyungwon looks at the food he finds the people had prepared for them a feast. There is never a warmer welcome than a well prepared meal with everyone, Hyungwon thinks, noting how welcoming the village is to outsiders like him and his father.

The High Priestess sits in the middle at the other end of the room once everyone has arrived, toasting to the arrival of the two guests.

And there isn’t much for Hyungwon to focus on as a young man surrounded with older people taking more interest in getting to know the older of the newly arrived guests. 

Yet someone sitting close to the High Priestess caught Hyungwon’s eyes as he swallows down his drink in the merry atmosphere, and it was because of his hair and robe.

The young man sits in a pure, white robe, and has white colored hair.

No one else has white hair in the room. Nor are they dressed in pure white as he is. While the shrine maidens eating in the corner of the room is dressed in white, their pants are red, yet this person dressed in all white adorns only one plain robe made from a soft fabric that boasts only his delicateness, that is however is contradicted by rather sharp looking eyes, that in the bluish white glow of the lanterns around the room, reminisces the glow of the rare blue moon. 

It is Hyungwon’s first time seeing someone with white hair, and glassy looking eyes that the night sky of a full moon must reflect beautifully on those irises.

And he must have been staring because the young man catches his gaze, warily staring back.

For some reason it goes on, and Hyungwon isn’t sure of what to do, as the other young man has looked rather entranced, like the room has been muted and he’s only seeing one person among all the others in the room— _because it feels that way for Hyungwon_.

Remembering himself as a newly arrived guest, Hyungwon self-consciously tears his eyes away to check on himself, in case he has spilled his drink on his robe and it shows, or if he has something on his face.

But there was nothing wrong, as he looks up again at the soft pair of keen eyes casted on him.

And then the young man in white is blinking, as if breaking himself out of a trance only to look down at his food with feigned interest.

He eats with small bites, picking up his food delicately with his chopsticks.

Hyungwon had to tear his eyes off the young man, only noticing how creepy he must be to be staring at a stranger whose cheeks had noticeably turned a shade of red.

He doesn’t stay long, the white haired boy, he excuses himself in a rather frantic manner and scurries out of the room.

And Hyungwon notices the High Priestess watching him. He smiles at her.

She nods curtly.

He learns about the white haired young man the next day, when he’s following his father on a walk with one of the priests there.

The priest is also young, only an apprentice and perhaps a rather amateur one, judging by how long he has to think before he answers their questions. While he seems like Hyungwon’s peer, he’s built much bigger than Hyungwon, and has pale skin that rivals that of the white haired young man last night.

Yet he dresses completely differently from the white haired boy. His robe is black like the night sky absent of any celestial creatures. It is unlike the usual priests Hyungwon has met over his lifetime in his hometown, as they are usually dressed in bright colors, with a tall black hat on their heads.

The apprentice’s name is Hoseok. And he wears no hat at the moment. His black hair shines under the soft sun.

He tells them the white haired young man is crucial to their Full Moon Ritual. Without him the ritual would not even take place. He is what they call a Moonborn, hence, the white hair and the white robes. They are born in almost every generation.

When asked about what his role is in the ritual, Hoseok has smiled at them.

“He is of those who bring blessings from the Moon.”

He doesn’t get the chance to elaborate, because a villager has stopped him in his tracks, and asks him some questions about lighting incense at a shrine. Hoseok answers easily and politely, with a smile still on his serene face. The villager thanks him, leaving the three with a nod to the two visitors.

The villagers are all friendly, going about their business and chores.

When they reach a small shrine Hoseok offers prayers for the deity there, and tells Hyungwon’s father he may speak to the priest in charge of that particular shrine if he’d like to get more information.

And Hyungwon’s father has pulled Hyungwon aside while Hoseok rings the bell at the shrine and makes his prayer.

“You can stay with Hoseok if you’d like,” he whispers to his son. “I’m just going to talk to the priest and the older people.”

Hyungwon agrees easily, because Hoseok seems like a really nice person despite his lack of fluency in answering their questions on their customs. It’s as if he’s afraid of making any mistakes. Hyungwon doesn’t think he should be, after all, people learn from regretting mistakes. And besides, he’d rather spend time with people his age, as someone who grows up as the lone son most of his life, he finds himself seeking people of his age outside of home.

So his father left with the older priest, while Hyungwon hangs around at the shrine with Hoseok, who tells him about the amulets they hang around the shrine in hopes of a peaceful coming winter. There are strings of bells hanging too, ringing softly in the passing breeze, decorating the air with its tinkling sounds.

A passing black crow catches his eyes, leading him all the way to the trees down the steps of the shrine.

And Hyungwon notices not too far away, the white haired boy again, sitting on a stone bench with someone. It’s hard not to notice him, what with his bright hair, white robe among those dressed in darker ones.

Hoseok notices Hyungwon looking at them, and happily places a hand on Hyungwon’s shoulder. “Would you like me to introduce you to some of the people here then?”

Hyungwon nods. It’d be good to get to know the Moonborn personally, might help him with his father’s work.

They approached the two young men on the bench, who didn’t take notice of their arrival as they are somehow talking about dried fruits that a villager had offered the Moonborn earlier that day.

Hoseok glances at Hyungwon with a smile before he clears his throat to gain their attention.

The mindless chatter instantly stops and the white haired young man has turned around, eyes round as he looks up at Hyungwon almost surprisedly. The other man, Hyungwon recognizes as one of the guards from yesterday.

They stand up and bow at the two.

“This is Hyungwon, the folklorist’s son,” Hoseok introduces them.

“I saw him at dinner last night,” the white haired boy says with a small smile, as if happy that he has met Hyungwon earlier. And his voice is raspy, but soft. He seems friendly.

It makes Hyungwon wonder why he was seen excusing himself quickly from the banquet last night.

It might be just him being overly conscious as a guest, so Hyungwon dismisses the thought, nods and smiles at him.

“I am Lee Minhyuk,” he bows politely at Hyungwon, and Hyungwon returns the gesture, polite.

“Yoo Kihyun,” the guard introduces himself, clearing his throat as he looks at the two. “I’m a guard in training.”

“Ah, yes!” Hoseok beams. “Kihyun has been training everyday, sometimes we train together.”

Kihyun crosses his arms, eyeing Hoseok. “You’re an apprentice, maybe it’s time to stop training with me.”

Hoseok seems betrayed by the words. “But I really like training with you. And they never said a priest shouldn’t learn how to protect himself.”

“Oh, go practice your talisman writing skills or whatever,” Kihyun rolls his eyes.

Minhyuk laughs amusedly at the two’s antics, and he sounds like one of those tinkling bells hanging around the shrines.

“Kihyun is bitter Hoseok has gone for an apprenticeship. When we were much younger they actually promised to train as guards together,” he then explains to Hyungwon with his soft looking white hair blowing in the soft autumn wind.

“Oh.” Hyungwon finds Kihyun’s cheeks had turned pink at the mention of their promise, which he immediately concealed with a light huff. “I am guessing all of you grew up together then?”

“Of course,” Hoseok answers. “There was no one else to run around with when we were children. So we’ve only stuck with each other. So it’s pretty exciting to have a guest close to our age.”

The three friends smile at Hyungwon, all eyes on the guest and Hyungwon feels himself blushing a bit. He’s never really had many friends, or ones that he’s known as long as they have known each other, so it is hard to not feel like the odd one out there. 

“Must be nice to grow up together.”

Kihyun blinks, looking at Hyungwon rather confusedly, before the corner of lips rises up into a smirk as he looks over at his friends playfully. “Yeah, but it’s about time we get sick of each other, isn’t it? It’s always these same faces I see.”

Hoseok sighs a little, like he’s heard it all before. 

Minhyuk somehow only beams at the thought of his whole life filled with memories of the same two friends, looking impossibly brighter than he already is. “I like that we have pretty much done everything together. We played all games. We know every nook and corners of the forest because of that.”

Kihyun laughs a little, but then frowns at a rather, more bitter memory. “But the High Priestess wouldn’t let Minhyuk run around outside too much. She would already be waiting for us when we come back from playing, ready to punish him for straying too far.”

“She was just afraid he would hurt himself.” Hoseok reasons.

“Well, that was ridiculous!” Minhyuk scoffs a little and Hyungwon’s a little charmed at the sight of the pink lips pursing in disagreement. He seems so fascinating with his unique hair and white robe and all, it was hard for Hyungwon not to take note of every little action he does. “We all know I don’t—”

“That was in the past,” Hoseok cuts him off, looking perfectly content with their shared childhood memories, the good and the not quite good ones too. “We were children, and you do have a knack of disregarding your own safety and getting into troubles.”

It seems like the white haired boy had more to say, but instead Minhyuk only sighs softly. “I suppose you are right, Hoseok.” And he fixes his rebellious posture from before to stand straighter, as if he has been trained to do so. “Now that we are all coming of age, I guess she would worry less of us running around and risking hurting ourselves.”

Kihyun’s gaze on Minhyuk hardens as he listens to his friend speak, and Hyungwon notices it, but doesn’t mention anything about it.

“Well,” Minhyuk turns to Hyungwon. “What do you do, Hyungwon?”

“I help my father with his work. He’s been going around documenting folklores around the land. Putting them down on paper so other people from other places could learn about one another. I have been helping him with this work since I was very young.”

As Hyungwon was telling them that, it occurs to him how different their lives are, the ones in the village hidden in the mountains, and the bustling town in which Hyungwon has always known to be his home. He dares to even think that his life sounds pretty dull, and _boring_ compared to their adventures of running around in the forest.

The other three however nod understandingly at his answer.

“That’s a very noble work, informing people of traditions all around the land,” Minhyuk says with a smile.

“I suppose it is.”

“What Minhyuk does would be documented on paper and people would read about it?” Kihyun asks, more to himself and not to Hyungwon.

And Hyungwon blinks. “Why, yes. Of course.”

“Oh,” Minhyuk nods thoughtfully.

“What exactly do you do, Minhyuk?”

Minhyuk looks up at Hyungwon. There are some birds chirping at the offerings the shrine keeper has scattered on the ground. They peck at it happily.

“I perform the sacred role for the Moon ritual,” he explains, words practiced. “On the night of a full moon—soon in winter, we will be holding the Moon ritual since I have come of age.”

“What is the ritual?”

Minhyuk turns to Hoseok, as if it is for Hoseok to explain. And he smiles at the priest almost shyly, asking for a favour as if explaining it all to Hyungwon would only come off as a brag.

“We will be praying for eternal happiness and safety in the village, and part of the ritual is taking away and alleviating everyone’s unhappiness and pain, then sending it off so it would not return.”

Hyungwon nods interestedly. He’s always fascinated how many rituals performed are for a happy life for everyone. It has been one of his favorite pastimes to read and learn about how everyone works together to perform it in the books his father had written. He finds it to be a point of unity for a community, hence why they always hold their rituals in high regard and keep it in practice.

“It also includes a dance performance, if you’re interested in that kind of thing,” Kihyun adds, looking at Hyungwon almost too interestedly, gauging his response.

Being only human, the thought of a dance performance sounds delightful, especially so when it comes from a culture he’s only started to familiarize himself with. And he beams.

“Really?”

And it’s Minhyuk who blushes when Hoseok goes on to answer, “Minhyuk has been practicing for it for a while now. I’m sure it will make for a spectacular performance.”

“Oh, the pressure that weighs on my shoulders,” Minhyuk sighs playfully as he rolls his shoulders, as if tired after a whole day of dancing.

His friends laugh, while Hyungwon eyes him with a more curious gaze.

“I look forward to seeing it,” Hyungwon tells him with anticipation blooming in his chest.

Minhyuk only nods, averting his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was mainly an introduction and exposition, nothing happens, but pls stay with it!! Something will happen idk when but something definitely will
> 
> [in my best attendant voice again] as you can also see it's part of a series, so keep an eye out for the other part too ;) I said it before, my mental state is deteriorating bcs 2020 has been real shitty (just like this fic ha), so this is just idk i guess its me trying to save the last bits of my sanity, experimenting with something new and different, and uh watch me try to be consistent with this (lets hope i will)
> 
> Don't forget to leave feedbacks and comments! :-)


	2. Chapter 2

The village is bustling and busy most days, each and every villager playing their roles to keep things moving and living.

There would always be the giggly shrine maidens passing by Hyungwon in the hallways of the manor, their light footsteps thudding rhythmically against the polished wooden floors, their billowing pair of red pants blowing in the breeze that sneaks into the building through open lattice doors.

Hyungwon spends most of his time with Hoseok, Kihyun, and Minhyuk. 

Although Minhyuk isn’t available sometimes, always excusing himself for ritual dance lessons with the High Priestess or doing chores in the manor.

So Hyungwon would spend time watching Hoseok and Kihyun training with their swords—if Minhyuk’s finally available he would just sit next to Hyungwon under the patches of a browning tree’s shade and watch too. He’d come in a flurry of white, and a bright smile after his dance lesson and sit next to him silently. His hands would always be filled with some snacks— steamed buns, dried fruits— the villagers have offered him on his way there. Sometimes when Kihyun and Hoseok go on and on for hours with their wooden swords, Hyungwon would turn to his book of poetries, Minhyuk pleading with round, shimmering night blue eyes and clasped hands for him to read it out loud for him.

Said that he doesn’t truly understand what they mean, but the words are beautiful.

“It’s just fascinating how you can read all these without so much as a scratch on the head,” Minhyuk mutters one day, leaning over, closer to the book in Hyungwon’s hand as he examines the characters written on the pages. Today though, instead of clasped pleading hands he has a steamed bun in his two hands, the steam wafting in the cold air. Said that he was hungry after doing chores.

When Hyungwon moves his gaze from the page to the Moonborn, he finds the other to be a little closer to him than expected. Minhyuk looks up at him from the page, blinking, and smiles.

His white hair seems so soft that Hyungwon’s almost tempted to touch it.

“Do you want some?” He offers the bun.

Hyungwon just chuckles a little, shaking his head. “I had a lot to eat in the morning.”

“The food was really good, huh?”

“Yeah,” Hyungwon admits easily.

Surprisingly, a sly smile creeps upon Minhyuk’s lips, as he leans away again, “You might have been eating my cooking. That’s why.”

Interested, Hyungwon responds with, “really?”

Minhyuk nods proudly. “I was on kitchen duty since morning today.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Hoseok interrupts from where he and Kihyun stand, panting from strenuous physical exertion. He’s wiping at the sweat on his forehead.

It is rather strange to see him not in his usual apprentice garb, Hyungwon has realized a few days before. In a simple tunic with a matching pair of pants, he looks just like one of the guards. Makes the outsider wonder how Hoseok would have turned out if he continued to train as a guard instead of a priest.

“He chops some onions and other stuff and that’s it, the food that you eat are all the cooks’,” Hoseok explains with a soft smile that’s only teasing and Minhyuk groans.

“You had to ruin it.” Minhyuk grumbles.

“I know you do a lot of chores in the manor, Minhyuk,” Kihyun says, jogging a little to get to the Moonborn. Minhyuk breaks the bun in half wordlessly, and offers it to Kihyun who takes it swiftly and then speaks with his mouth full, “But you can’t take credit for what you didn’t do.”

“Oh, but I still make the best dumplings!” Minhyuk turns to Hyungwon, eyes shimmering with excitement. “Hoseok and Kihyun are bad at it, they either put too much fillings or too little. But mine are really nice.”

Hyungwon blinks, he doesn’t know what to say to that, and it seems like Hoseok notices, as he takes a bite of the food in Kihyun’s hand before Kihyun could even stop him, laughing at the expression on his friend’s face. Kihyun just shakes his head at Hoseok’s action, grumbling a little under his breath.

“Hyungwon doesn’t seem impressed,” Hoseok points out.

“I just wanna be known to be good at something too,” Minhyuk crosses his arms together, sulky.

His friends stare at him in a brief silence before Hoseok speaks up again, “You _are_ the Moonborn.”

Minhyuk looks up at Hoseok from where he’s seated, still frowning, but then he fixes his hair almost too self-consciously, expression guarded. “Well, I guess that’s one thing.” He stands up and doesn’t spare them a single glance, just waves goodbye with a “I have a dance lesson now.”

They all watch the young man dressed in white robe leave, bowing at the villagers he meets politely.

“What was that all about?” Kihyun mutters, eyebrows furrowed.

The next following days Hyungwon follows Hoseok around with his apprentice duties, taking notes of what he learns, sees other people’s daily activities from there too. People come to Hoseok to ask for prayer supplements from time to time, and Hoseok spends most of the morning cleaning the grounds around the shrines.

Hyungwon also helps Hoseok write down amulets at some of the shrines, practicing his calligraphy with a thinner brush than he's used to and it amazes even the priest to be.

But what amazes Hyungwon more is how dedicated Hoseok is as an apprentice. He’d sit around the shrine courtyards reading through scriptures, always humming out hymns and when people come to him to ask for help, he’d go to them without an ounce of hesitation. 

They’re not always heavy work that he helps the villagers with, but Hyungwon knows the people find him to be a reliable, dependable person. 

“I think I’m on the right path,” Hoseok says when Hyungwon asks him how he has been enjoying his apprenticeship. “When I become a priest, I can help with the rituals, and the rituals are what helps the village. So it’s as if I can help everyone at once, you know?” He smiles brightly at Hyungwon as they walk through the village streets, heading back to the manor for the day and Hyungwon finds him nothing but admirable.

The sky is pink with sunset, the people returning to their homes, some stubborn kids refusing to and getting dragged inside by a frustrated mother anyway. Hyungwon only smiles bitterly at two brothers retreating to their home together, obviously not on their own accord.

“My life has only ever been here, in the mountains,” Hoseok says then, the manor coming into sight, the Moon now peeking through the darkening sky. “So growing up here my whole life until now, I know it’s because the villagers have made that possible. They have taken care of me ever since, everyone helps each other here, so I think it’s only pertinent that I do so too.”

When they reach the manor, the lanterns are already lit up, glowing in blue, the manor looks almost ethereal under the night sky with its size, like a giant gate to the Moon shrine in the back, up the mountain.

“I was taken in here, to be put under the village’s care,” Hoseok suddenly tells Hyungwon. Hyungwon looks at him curiously. “Like many others in the manor, I am also an orphan. But we all live well because the village takes good care of us.”

Hyungwon nods understandingly. Liking how kind the people are to their own in the mountains, when back in town, what with the busy life and people coming and going, the sense of community is rather scarce. It makes him a little envious of the plain, simple life filled with warmth of kindness in the mountains.

In the manor, Hoseok wishes Hyungwon a good night and leaves for his own room.

One night, once Hyungwon had returned to his own room, he started jotting down some poems, inspired by his routine now. He has written about the simple life, of kindness from one to another, and also helped his father put down notes by the blue lantern lights.

All flame lights in blue in this place even in the village he finds. He thinks somewhere during his time with the apprentice, Hoseok told him it’s because of the oil they are using, made from a special flower that only grows in the mountains. It blooms only on a cold night and in the moonlight, and the people in the village believe only the full moon can bring the flowers to fully bloom. To cast its light upon earth and sprinkle a little of its celestial properties.

So they call the flowers Moondust.

And they would harvest the flowers for sacred ceremonies. But Hyungwon hasn’t seen a single one of them during his stay. He wonders if they haven’t bloomed yet at this time of the year.

Hyungwon takes notes of every little thing and everyday lives while his father takes in the more structural details. His father has also learned a lot from the elderlies.

“Lee Minhyuk is the son of the head of the village, the High Priestess,” his father had informed him, reciting what information he learned some night before. Looking up at the wall in front of him, a brush still in his hand as he was thinking. “And since he was born with white hair, he is one of the Moonborns. He is the Moon’s Chosen One.

According to the people, in the original bloodline of the people who inhabit the mountains, there would be occasional white haired babies spread among generations— the Moonborns, with special powers invested in them by the gods in order to protect the village.”

“What kind of power?” Hyungwon had asked his father, eyes droopy and he’s sleepy. His new friends had taught him how to handle a wooden sword properly that day, and Hyungwon proved to be rather clumsy with weapons. He was never about weapons, he was always about the books.

(It earned him a scoff from Kihyun, who tells him it’s important to always be ready and able to protect yourself.)

His father told him— with a hint of doubt that people like Minhyuk are blessed with immortality.

Hyungwon had blinked in his sleepiness. 

How is that possible? 

He has been asking himself that throughout the days after. He’s heard of legends before but immortality was never for humans, it was always for the deities, the spirits.

Minhyuk _is_ the Moonborn, that much he knows. Because he has white hair, blue eyes and dresses in a plain white robe all the time.

But he’s also good at making dumplings—Hyungwon found his mind wandering as he stares at the blue flame, that is an unusual but calming sight. They had dumplings for dinner one of the nights and it had led him to thoughtfully, fondly wondering in the Moonborn’s absence— the High Priestess and the Moonborn weren’t present for dinner that day— if Minhyuk made those carefully crafted dishes with his delicate but strong looking hands.

He also smiles brightly at things that make him happy— receiving snacks from the villagers, listening to Hyungwon’s recitation— and he also sulks like the one time he wanted to brag about his dumplings. 

That only seems _very human_ to Hyungwon. Unlike the stories of deities and spirits he’s ever heard of all his life. 

So how was he blessed with immortality? What exactly does that entail?

“That doesn’t sound like the truth, isn’t it?” His father has mused, writing down in his book whatever he has heard. It wasn’t his job to question the truth of all the beliefs and customs of different people, it was just his job to document them as they are.

But Hyungwon could see his father does not take the story to heart, even if Minhyuk is the only one with white hair among the villagers.

“It could just be his ancestor’s bloodline, the genes—” His father has explained. It wasn’t something he would tell the villagers himself, but would willingly discuss with his son when they’re documenting different customs. “—that let a Moonborn inherit the features that are a little different than the others’ every now and then between generations. That makes the Moonborn stand out. Otherwise, where would the other Moonborns be by now then?”

“Then what about his role in the Moon Ritual?”

His father has shaken his head, it seems like he hasn’t learned about the ritual much other than the general purpose that Hyungwon has also heard from his friends. “All the High Priestesses before appoint whomever they deem worthy to take care of the shrines here, so I guess her ancestors have deemed the white haired newborns as special and appointed the role only for them.”

Hyungwon sleepily nodded to that, not interested in furthering the discussion, favoring the journey to sleep instead. Already thinking of tomorrow, and whether there will be those blue eyes asking him to recite poetries under the shade of the forest trees.

Hyungwon sleeps in one day, not on his own accord, but weary and tired from an uninvited dream.

The dream was of yellow flames and ashes in the night sky that when he awakes, the thought of a new day only brought about an unsettling feeling in his chest. The dread now so familiar that has him wishing he hadn’t woken up so soon to be greeted by the bright sky filled with only white patches of clouds and the gentle sun.

When he awakes, his father has left the room with a note on the table in the tea room. Said that he’ll be out with the Priestess today to discuss a few things.

It is no time for breakfast anymore. Not wanting to inconvenience the people in the manor to prepare breakfast for a guest, which is something they would do, Hyungwon only heats up the tea in the hearth, and looks out the window at the koi fishes swimming in the pond down there as he sips his tea. There are birds chirping rather late in the morning, he can hear some bustling in the distance within the manor, the shrine maidens and housekeepers must be busy.

He heads out of the room, thinking of finding Hoseok or Kihyun somewhere outside there in the village when he runs into Minhyuk in one of the manor’s corridor.

He halts his steps immediately at the sight of Hyungwon, socked feet almost slipping and his arms full with a huge basket brimming with blankets.

“Good morning, Hyungwon,” Minhyuk greets with a soft, bright smile. His long white sleeves are rolled up his elbows, he looks like he’s been doing chores since early morning.

“Good morning, Minhyuk,” Hyungwon nods, slightly bewildered by the bright smile he’s seeing. It’s the first smile and person he sees upon waking up after all. “Do you need help?”

The second Minhyuk blinks up at him approaching him, some of the blankets slip out of the tilted basket, falling onto the floor with a soft whispery thud. Embarrassed, Minhyuk scrambles to pick them up, but Hyungwon’s faster, already bending down and gathering the blankets into his arms. When he straightens up again he flashes a soft smile for the Moonborn.

“Where do we take these?”

“Outside,” Minhyuk answers with a grin, and leads the way through the corridor. “Have to hang them in the sun, beat the dust out.”

“Oh,” Hyungwon merely responds, moving this way and that in a rather narrow corridor as they pass by a few apprentices.

They nod at the Moonborn, thanking him for taking care of their blankets. Minhyuk just laughs and says it’s no problem.

They make their way out into the yard. Minhyuk sets the basket down on the patio, grabbing a pair of clogs available on a stone step and putting them on. He sets a pair for Hyungwon too.

“Come on now,” he beckons for Hyungwon to follow again, picking up the heavy basket with a slight groan.

And in the sun, his hair bounces and shines like silk threads. His white robe seems to reflect off the sunlight too, making him glow in the middle of the day. Hyungwon follows him from behind, minding the stone steps he’s walking on in the yard too.

They hang the blankets on the clotheslines. Some housekeepers are fussing everywhere, carrying hampers of laundries, presumably of every occupants of the manor, since so many people live in that one, massive building.

“Minhyuk!” Someone greets from afar.

When Hyungwon and Minhyuk turn their heads from arranging the blankets, they find the shrine maidens scurrying towards them.

Dahyun seems super cheery under the sun, and Mina merely smiles softly at the two older boys.

“Hello, Dahyun and Mina,” Minhyuk smiles at them, hands still moving and busy.

“Would you like some help with that?” Dahyun asks, hands hidden behind her.

“Don’t you two have your daily tasks at the Moon Shrine?” Minhyuk’s squinting under the sun, picking up a blanket again, and Hyungwon takes the other end to throw them over the line. They make sure it’s hanging properly by pulling at the hems.

“We’ve done it all, swept away all the dried leaves off the shrine’s courtyard too,” Mina answers in a soft voice, and she catches Hyungwon’s eyes on her, before lowering her head, shy. Hyungwon didn’t even get to give her a smile as an attempt to be friendly.

“Ah, well,” Minhyuk contemplates. “Sure thing then. Always a great pleasure to receive help from you two.”

“Great!” Dahyun hops on her feet a little in excitement, and produces the paddles from her back, handing them to everyone.

Minhyuk laughs fondly at her preparedness, and takes one.

“Let’s see who can beat more dust off the blankets!” Dahyun grabs Minhyuk by the wrist and drags him to another clothesline, leaving Mina and Hyungwon alone.

Hyungwon turns to Mina, her hair is braided today, tied with the usual red ribbon.

“Why would she leave me…” She mutters under her breath, and then looks up at Hyungwon. “Ah, Mr. Chae, I—uh—”

“I’ve actually never done this before,” Hyungwon tells her. “Mind showing me how?”

The young girl blushes under his gaze. “Just like this,” And she strikes at the blanket before her, and the strike hits with a loud sound that Hyungwon’s a little surprised. She laughs at him rather meekly.

Hyungwon tries.

“Just like that!” She claps her hand a little.

They do it until they’re sure the blanket is clean, moving to another. It’s a cathartic job, and Hyungwon finds himself squinting under the bright sun just to see how Minhyuk laughs with Dahyun goodheartedly. They have a knack of joking around with one another while doing chores it seems, Dahyun now hiding behind a blanket just to mess with Minhyuk.

“Moonborn!” A loud voice suddenly calls out, and they all stop what they’re doing, paddles lowered at the sight of an old man dressed in black robe approaching them. The fabric of his dark robe shines under the sun, looking heavy and speaks of authority from the texture of its material itself.

“Who’s that?” Hyungwon asks in a low voice, rather confused.

“The Old Shaman,” Mina answers. “He’s in charge of the Moon Shrine. He looks a little troubled, I wonder why.”

“You shouldn’t be outside when the sun’s so high up,” The Old Shaman tells Minhyuk.

With a faltering smile, Minhyuk hands Dahyun the paddle immediately, and wiping his hands on his robe after as he averts everyone’s stare on him. He even rolls down his sleeves self-consciously, covering his pale skin from the sunlight.

“I was just trying to clean the blankets,” Minhyuk tells him. He sounds rather meek.

The Old Shaman stares at him for a very short second. “You shouldn’t stay in the sun for too long. Leave the shrine maidens to finish the job. Now go inside, and try to take more indoor chores from now on. The ritual is approaching, you cannot be exposed to the sun too much when you are for the Moon.”

Minhyuk nods silently.

“Go now.”

Minhyuk catches Hyungwon’s eyes on him, and beckons for him to follow.

So Hyungwon apologetically hands Mina the paddle in his hand, before they all bow at the Old Shaman and then Hyungwon scurries off to the indoors with the Moonborn.

When Hyungwon looks back, he finds the old man’s hardened stare on him. But he ignores it rather confusedly, looking ahead as he follows Minhyuk back into the manor.

Minhyuk stretches his arms in the shade of the open patio now, bare, skinny arms all exposed as the sleeves slide down his limbs. “Ah, I guess I’ll just clean the floors today.”

“Can I help?” Hyungwon asks, catching up to him as they make their way into what seems to be the kitchen. Hyungwon has never been there before. It is warmer in there, what with the large fire heating up black pans and pots.

The fires in the kitchen are yellow, Hyungwon noticed. It feels strange to be looking at a flame in that unfamiliar color now that he finds his eyes glued on them dancing underneath dark metals.

His attention swiftly returns to the Moonborn when Minhyuk cranes his neck to look at him, amused. “You’re very helpful, aren’t you?”

Hyungwon shrugs, he’s just trying to fill his days there with something to do. Doing it with the playful Moonborn is an extra enjoyment, he thinks.

“Alright then,” Minhyuk averts his stare, a smile ghosting his lips.

There are cooks hard at work in the manor, the helpers are chopping vegetables, meat, and tending to the boiling pots. It will be lunch soon.

“Ah, there is the Moonborn,” One of the cook beams at Minhyuk’s presence in the kitchen. “What are you up to today? Will you be helping in the kitchen?”

Minhyuk shakes his head. “The floors haven’t been polished since last week.”

“Come back for lunch on time then.”

Minhyuk nods, and leads Hyungwon into the back. There’s a small room that stores all the cleaning supplies it seems. Minhyuk takes them out—some pails, some rags and some bottles of dark liquid. He gathers them into the pails for easy carrying and heaves them up with both hands.

“Don’t tell me you regret the offer to help after this, okay?”

Hyungwon falls on his buttocks as soon as he tries to stretch his back. Groaning, he starts squeezing at his own shoulders. How do people do this for the whole manor, he’s thinking.

Minhyuk, who has been watching him from the side, laughs at his display of agony from an hour of crouching on the floor to wipe them down. They had spent the last hour running here and there with rags pressed onto the floor.

They had only been cleaning one part of the manor. Hyungwon is unable to imagine how long it will take to clean the whole manor. Just the floors.

“Tired?” Minhyuk asks, sitting up from where he’s been catching his breaths. He crosses his legs on the clean floor, the background behind him of the peaceful pond and a yellowing weeping willow tree.

The quietness of the place is only filled with the sound of water cascading down the strategically placed rocks, into the pond where the fishes swim, and the gentle rustling of the pine trees. There are some bushes that would have bloomed with so many colorful flowers if it were springtime. 

They’re in the grand tea room, where Hyungwon thinks important discussion and private celebrations are done. There is a small fire pit in the corner of the room, as Minhyuk crawls there and starts looking through the closet in the corner.

He takes out some utensils, a cup and places them on the table. Hyungwon watches with curiosity as he checks on the pot in the room, and starts heating it up.

“Hyungwon, would you sit with me here,” he pats a space in the middle of the room. “And stay there.”

Hyungwon does as he’s told. His breaths return to him as he watches Minhyuk arranging the utensils he’s taken out of the closet, movements practiced.

“I was taught how to hold a tea ceremony,” Minhyuk tells him, busy at the fire pit. Hyungwon watches his back moving. Busy, but graceful. “Have you ever attended one?”

“Can’t say that I have,” Hyungwon answers, realizing that he should be sitting straighter. He sits on his knees, hands clenched on each one.

Perhaps it is because of his young age that he hasn’t participated in a proper official one, and more so that he is only a commonfolk, never been an important person back in his hometown.

“Lucky you,” Minhyuk says, raising an arm with a bamboo ladle as he starts pouring hot water into a small, black, ceramic cup. The pouring sound is like a calming music to Hyungwon’s ears. “You get to experience it now.”

And Hyungwon watches in awe as Minhyuk, with his delicate hands and flurry of movements starts scooping out tea powder into the tea cup. When he pours the hot, steaming water into it, the calming music returns again, its notes dancing by Hyungwon’s ears, his gaze entertained by the sight of Minhyuk sitting, so poised, on the straw matted floor. The muffled scratching sound of the bamboo whisk in the hot mixture adds to the natural instrument of an autumn breeze blowing into the room, dried leaves outside tripping over each other almost clumsily.

“Can I ask you a question, Minhyuk?”

“What is it?” The Moonborn glances at him with his night-sky eyes ever so slightly once he puts the whisk down, a smile teasing the corner of his lips.

He turns gently towards Hyungwon then, pale hands serving him a cup of green tea. He bows.

The green color in the round cup is solid, froth clinging to every surface of the hot liquid.

Hyungwon bows, lowers himself down to the floor. “I shall enjoy the tea.”

He then picks it up with both hands, turning it around on his palm as the heat of the cup seeps into his skin, comforting and soothing in the cold weather.

He drinks, and the frothy drink is comforting moving down his throat.

“I was just wondering,” he says after a sip. “When I first saw you, that night in the banquet room.”

Minhyuk blinks, gestures for him to finish it all.

He does, lifting the cup and his chin up. They have broken all propriety of an official tea ceremony, but that doesn’t matter when there is only the two of them in the room.

“You seemed quite disturbed,” Hyungwon says, lowering his gaze down onto the floor as he returns the cup. He still remembers how Minhyuk looked in the bright lighting of the banquet room. How he excuses himself out of the room and never returned. While usually he would shy of asking a person the reason why for something seemingly so trivial, he couldn’t help but find himself wondering the reason behind Minhyuk leaving the banquet room again and again. “It left me wondering if there was something the matter with how I appeared.”

There’s a knowing frown that weighs on Minhyuk’s lips now, as he takes the cup again with both hands. He takes out a cloth, wipes at the rim gently, humming as he does so.

“I’m sorry if it has offended you.”

Hyungwon’s quick to deny it. He actually seems solemn from the question. “Not at all.”

“You just look like someone I’ve met before,” Minhyuk utters, turning away to put back the cup.

“Oh, who may it be?” Hyungwon asks genuinely, wondering if that person bears resemblance to his features, and why Minhyuk would be affected by Hyungwon resembling that very person.

Minhyuk shakes his head slightly, dismissing the question naturally with the smile returning to his lips as he bows at Hyungwon again. Formal now, his back straight, trained. “That was thank you for helping me today.”

Hyungwon bows again too, just for the formality. “It was my pleasure. Thank you for the tea.”

Minhyuk nods, still smiling. 

“Oh, and Minhyuk?” Hyungwon speaks up again, suddenly feeling like if he doesn’t take the chance to say this now, then he wouldn’t have another to do it another time. “I think you _are_ good at something.”

Minhyuk raises his eyebrows curiously, like he didn’t expect Hyungwon to bring up a topic of past conversation.

“You’re good at helping people,” Hyungwon tells him. “I mean— you do the chores— and the dumplings from the other night— uh if it was even yours, they were really good.” He’s blabbering. “And from what I know, when one holds such an important role in a ritual, they’re always held in such high regards that their life may rival those of a higher class. But it’s not the case in this village. Everyone seems equal, and friendly with each other.”

He doesn’t know why what should be a casual compliment has heat rising in his cheeks, has him blushing. Perhaps it’s the same way Minhyuk’s cheeks are visibly colored too. 

Just like the first time they had looked at each other.

Yet this time the Moonborn offers him a small, flattered smile.

And when he suggests they leave the room, he has a knowing look in his eyes when Hyungwon finds him staring at him through the corridors, so easy to be mistaken as recognition, like they have met before a long time ago— as they walk side by side, shoulders barely brushing. Hyungwon doesn’t get to question it, who it was the person Minhyuk has known, the conversation on their first meeting sealed back in that tea room overlooking the pond with koi fishes, who have nowhere to go but circle.

But it still leaves Hyungwon wondering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know its only been like two chapters but it's a little disorganized for my liking,, anyway i thought that i should prioritize being consistent in updating rather than give in to the dreadful perfectionist side of me and just fix it all in the upcoming chapters lmaooo
> 
> Also thank you to 1 (one) person ONLY for leaving a comment in the previous chapter! 👀 I see you i wish people can give out and eat virtual cookies. (and oooh yes i do hope things will turn out exciting)
> 
> Anyway tell me what you guys think! (even if you guys exist) I feel like the exposure is going a little slow? or maybe not. Do leave comments!


	3. Chapter 3

Minhyuk, Hoseok, and Kihyun have decided to bring Hyungwon to the valley one day. They wanted to show him where they have always spent their times when they were younger without the responsibilities they have now.

It’s a refreshing change of environment, Hyungwon has never explored a forest before, and is envious of how familiar his friends are of the trees and terrains, swiftly making their way through without a second thought.

Through the narrow trail at the side of the mountains Hyungwon could see little streams of water branching off into different directions, passing through terrains of raging red cherry blossom trees, also accompanied by calming golden colored leaves.

The whole part of the forest turns a brilliant pink during spring time, Minhyuk has told Hyungwon while Kihyun and Hoseok were leading the way.

“I’d love to see that,” Hyungwon says to Minhyuk. “Must be nice to see it every spring.”

In the clearing, Kihyun had run and called out to Hoseok as he hopped over the small stream running down the slope, “Race you there!”

Hoseok had laughed and tried to catch up to him, navigating through some rocks jutting out among the grasses expertly.

Left behind, Minhyuk smiles at Hyungwon. Kihyun is shouting excitedly in the distance. “Yeah, every spring,” he repeats in a low voice, probably thinking of next spring already.

The river is broad, and deep as they went down the mountain on their walk, with clear water that Hyungwon could see his reflection in. All along the riverbank stood a lone pine tree, that has long stretching branches with lush leaves like moving, passing green clouds. There are upturned boats which the fishermen aren’t using that day under the tree.

Kihyun is laughing somewhere along the river.

“In the summer we would come here and swim sometimes,” Minhyuk tells Hyungwon. “It’s really nice.”

Hyungwon smiles at the thought of such memories the three friends share. He doesn’t really have those, his summers were always spent with his nose buried in books. He had his school friends, but there was only so much they could do in the town. His friends think he stops himself from enjoying himself sometimes, like he always seems to feel guilty to be doing so during such days. Hyungwon never really pondered over their thoughts on him though. He doesn’t want to. 

But it’s a shame that it’s too cold for a swim at this time of the year. A little part of him somehow _does_ wish he could share such memories with his newfound friends too. What he’d do to have memories of recklessness out in nature with his own friends.

Hyungwon walks to the water, admiring the clear, flowing river before him. The air is crispier there, the river sings in tune with the atmosphere and Hyungwon can’t take his eyes off the water, where the sunlight breaks into little glitters on the surface, finding his reflection swimming in the soft ripples fascinating.

“Stop staring at yourself,” Minhyuk has shaken a hand into the water, muddling Hyungwon’s reflection.

Hyungwon looks at him and chuckles, embarrassed. He’s found Minhyuk to be very playful. Even more playful after the conversation back in the tea ceremony room. 

It seems that both of them have grown more comfortable with each other after the conversation, that Hyungwon’s glad he said what he said back then.

“It is fine for people to stare at you, but not when you stare at yourself,” Minhyuk goes on, getting up from where he’s squatting and then dusting off his white robe.

“Who would stare at me?” He asks as he follows Minhyuk walking towards where Hoseok and Kihyun are sitting on a rock, breaking some twigs just to keep their hands busy.

“I don’t know,” Minhyuk simply answers, skipping in order to not trip among the pebbles. His white robe seems to shine under the sun, giving it a blinding effect that even Hyungwon can’t keep his eyes on him in case he falls.

“Were you born and raised in the town, Hyungwon?” Kihyun asks when they all sit on the huge rock, squinting under the bright, yet gentle sun.

The sound of the river flow and the rustling trees filled their surroundings. Minhyuk is picking up pebbles to throw against the surface of the water. But they skip only a few steps.

“Yes, my father, mother—” Hyungwon answers, pauses for a living heartbeat. “—and I. It has always been just the three of us.”

“Oh, how is the town?” Hoseok asks, beaming. “I heard they have carriages that move without horses now!”

“And a machine that can paint a picture with one click!” Kihyun then looks at Hyungwon interestedly.

“A camera?” Hyungwon asks.

“Yeah! That!” Kihyun nods, he’s never been this excited about something before. “Some visitors came last year with one of those, and apparently it takes real life pictures.”

“We have one of those,” Hyungwon tells him, excited about the topic. “I’d love to take a picture of all of you.”

Minhyuk heaves himself off his seat, and skips in front of Hyungwon. “Would you take a picture of just me?” He asks, twirling in his white robe and his long sleeves glide with his movements.

Hyungwon chuckles at his behaviour and Kihyun scoffs.

“He’ll be returning to the town sometime,” Minhyuk then tells Kihyun in a rather low voice. “It would be nice to let him keep some of our memories here.”

“ _I_ would love to keep a picture of you, Minhyuk,” Hoseok tells him. “You’re a dear friend I wouldn’t dare forget.”

Minhyuk’s cheeks grew pink from that, pleased and Kihyun frowns just a little.

“Well the ritual’s not coming anytime soon, so no one’s leaving yet.” Kihyun starts brushing at his sleeves, getting rid of any dead leaves that have stuck themselves onto him.

They then grow silent that it’s a little strange and Minhyuk lowers his head, kicking at some pebbles as he hums some tune. It sounds like a prayer, Hyungwon’s told he’s been memorizing some chants or hymns that are for the ritual.

“I’ll let all of you keep a picture of each other,” Hyungwon tells them as if an attempt to mend the silence that he doesn’t even know the reason for. “For memories’ sake.”

“What are they doing?” Hyungwon asks, walking in the courtyard of the manor with Hoseok one afternoon.

Minhyuk is busy with his ritual practices, while Kihyun has some errands to run for his family. It leaves Hoseok and Hyungwon to spend time together and Hoseok wanted to show him around, they hadn’t explored the manor’s compound much after all.

Hoseok looks at what he’s staring at. There are a few villagers stirring a huge pot of dark blue liquid.

“Making ink,” Hoseok answers him. “For rituals and such.”

Hyungwon nods.

Today he’s told Hoseok would show him the Moon Shrine. And the way to the Moon Shrine is led by tall stone stairs, located in the manor’s vast courtyard, bigger than any other shrines in the village with a huge bell hanging where people come to offer their respects. And the smaller ones are hanging on threads decorating the outside. There’s the ongoing construction happening, and it seems like they’re trying to build a hall that would connect the manor directly to the shrine. The carpenters are hard at work while some apprentices are serving them water and snacks for their break.

Dahyun and Mina are sweeping the steps with straw brooms in their hands. They bow when they see the two walking up the steps. When they raise their heads they wave happily at Hyungwon. Hoseok laughs at their clear, lingering excitement of someone new around.

“Dahyun,” Hoseok calls and Dahyun raises her eyebrows at him. “Kihyun told me to relay a message to you.”

Dahyun’s expression instantly changes at the mention of that name, blowing at a stray hair on her forehead. “What does he want?”

Hoseok merely smiles softly at her, looking used to her reaction. “Come back early, you should have dinner at home tonight. The family has missed you for many dinners that you had in the manor already.”

“Ugh, I just want to have dinner at the manor together with Mina!” Dahyun moves to hook an arm around Mina’s who blinks at her rather confusedly.

“Well, he also says you can invite Mina for dinner tonight, he’s already out getting fresh produce for tonight.”

Dahyun smiles slyly at Mina. “How about a sleepover?”

Mina seems bashful even when she smiles at her friend. “Of course.”

Hoseok nods at the two and advises them to finish their chores early to help Dahyun’s mother with dinner preparations.

When Hoseok and Hyungwon ascend the stairs again Hoseok smiles at Hyungwon.

“Dahyun’s Kihyun’s sister,” he tells the guest, and nods knowingly at Hyungwon’s surprise. “There’s a resemblance there.”

Hyungwon even looks back again to see how the curves of Dahyun’s lips are similar to Kihyun’s when they smile. “I feel silly, I wouldn’t have guessed,” he chuckles slightly.

“Mina’s an orphan though,” Hoseok goes on. “The two have been friends ever since they knew how to walk, and Dahyun always makes it a point to make sure Mina isn’t lonely, since she gets too quiet when she’s alone.”

They reach the top, and the breeze is stronger, and colder up there. The Moon Shrine stands almost proudly at the highest point of the village, overlooking the whole manor that Hyungwon stands there to admire the view.

“You must be thinking this is how it must be to be the Moon, overlooking everything,” Hoseok muses, and that is exactly what Hyungwon is thinking. He gestures for Hyungwon to come over to where he stands, over a stone basin that has a bamboo pipe flowing with clear water. A purification fountain.

Routinely, Hyungwon cups his hands together and Hoseok pours a ladleful of water into his hands. He washes his hands with the cold water and does the same for Hoseok in return.

“Would you like to pray to the Moon with me?”

Hyungwon nods and follows the apprentice to the shrine. 

When Hoseok prays at the shrine Hyungwon stares up at the bell with his palms pressed together in front of him, and there are many carved wooden dolls placed on the altar, surrounding the place of offering. They’re little dolls dressed in white robes.

They remind Hyungwon of Minhyuk, and since it is the Moon Shrine after all, it was where most of the Moon Ritual proceedings are held.

There are two gazebos at the sides, probably a place to rest after prayers and the rather tiring climb on the stairs. Hanging on the eaves of the roofs are persimmons, ripe and vibrant, hung to dry in the cooler air up there.

Hoseok claps twice with a soft humming coming from his lips.

The shrine is well kept, and the bell is loud when Hoseok rings it twice.

He tells Hyungwon to keep his hands together and pray to the moon to let their Full Moon Ritual proceed smoothly this winter.

“The Moon cleanses,” Hoseok explains once they’re seated in the back of the shrine, on the terrace. Hoseok is practicing something with the drawings he’s making on a piece of paper. “The Moon controls the tides and the river flow. The Moon watches over us. So we hold the ritual to pay respect and give back what the Moon has given us.”

Hyungwon thinks his father has been told this, as he’s seen the old man jotting down notes on the significance of the Moon Deity in this particular village.

“It would be nice if you also participate in the ritual later,” Hoseok tells Hyungwon and he smiles softly at the guest. “I know Minhyuk would love for you to participate.”

Hyungwon blinks. “What for?”

“So you can see how it works yourself,” Hoseok answers, grinning now. “We told you the ritual is to alleviate whatever pain everyone has, didn’t we? I guess he thought it would be nice for you to have them alleviated too.”

Hyungwon chuckles. “I am fine,” he says, but not because he doesn’t live with sadness or pain, but because he does not think a mere ritual would help a person have a life with no sadness and pain.

It’s a mindset his father has raised him with. But he also knows better not to show disrespect at people’s beliefs.

So he doesn’t elaborate his doubts, just watches Hoseok drawing intricate flowers on the paper.

Moments later the big heavy wooden door opens at the shrine, and out walks the Old Shaman with the High Priestess. Hoseok and Hyungwon bow their heads from where they are seated.

The Old Shaman locks the door with a heavy padlock and keeps the key. He and the High Priestess are muttering something, absorbed in a heavy discussion and they merely glance at the two youths when they walk past them.

“What’s inside?” Hyungwon asks Hoseok when the two are out of earshot.

Hoseok shrugs, concentrating on his drawings. There are Moondust flowers interweaved with complex vines now on the paper. Hyungwon has never seen the real flower. Its motifs are everywhere though. On every decorations in the manor, the paintings hanging in the rooms, the carvings on the woods of the dinner tables. He was told they’d be blooming soon for harvest in winter. “No one else is allowed inside other than the Old Shaman and High Priestess. And the Engravers sometimes. It is also where Minhyuk will reside for 13 nights before the ritual,” Hoseok tells him. “So I would imagine there is a place for him to rest in there.”

Hyungwon thinks about the words. The Old Shaman with a long white beard seems of a high authority as the High Priestess, and strict, just like Minhyuk’s mother. Nothing short of expected from their title after all.

“Who are the Engravers?”

“Some chosen apprentices or shrine maidens,” Hoseok tells him. “It’s what I’m doing here, I’m practicing my engravement motifs.”

Hoseok then falls silent, looking thoughtful in practicing his work.

Hyungwon finds it interesting, asking for a paper and starts drawing with a thin brush too. He wonders if they would engrave some wood or stones with the motifs. Like how the wooden dolls on the altar were obviously carved from a much thicker wood to be showing such pale veins as end results.

“Do you hope to be chosen as one of the Engravers?”

The question is received with a rather heavy silence, and Hyungwon’s a little perplexed at the worried frown on Hoseok’s face at the question. Perhaps it isn’t an easy thing to achieve, much more as an apprentice like him when there are other apprentices in the village. And maybe Hoseok fears he wouldn’t be chosen.

“It would be a huge honor,” he then murmurs. “to serve Minhyuk.”

“Hoseok!” It’s Kihyun’s voice which disrupts their ongoing conversation, and he’s coming over along with Minhyuk.

When Minhyuk catches Hyungwon’s eyes he smiles widely. Hyungwon returns it. He hasn’t seen Minhyuk since morning.

They take a seat with Hoseok and Hyungwon. Kihyun marvels at Hoseok’s work, telling him he’s improving.

“What are you drawing?” Minhyuk asks Hyungwon under the sound of Kihyun and Hoseok discussing their afternoon practice later.

Hyungwon watches Minhyuk picking up a brush too, delicately with his hands because he’s mindful of his white sleeves, as if any stain would be the end of him.

“Flowers,” Hyungwon tells him. “Well, at least I’m trying too.” He adds after seeing his drawing next to Hoseok’s.

Minhyuk chuckles, starts drawing. “Hey, we should go to the bamboo forests tomorrow,” he tells everyone.

“What for?” Kihyun asks rather confusedly. He’s taken Hoseok’s talisman papers in his hands.

“We can show Hyungwon around,” Minhyuk shrugs.

“What’s in the bamboo forest?” Hyungwon asks, the only stranger to the mountains.

“An old story,” Minhyuk mutters.

It raises his curiosity, and Minhyuk quickly smiles at him like he knows the rising curiosity in the young man next to him.

“We’ll tell you tomorrow. You’ll feel it better when you’re there.”

Hyungwon gives him a look but it’s Kihyun who speaks up again.

“It’s just a story passed over generations. When we were children we used to play a game based on the story.”

“I’m the best in the game,” Minhyuk tells everyone proudly. And Kihyun sneers at him, writing down a talisman. “And back in the days Kihyun would cry if we—” He’s immediately cut off when Kihyun slaps the talisman onto his forehead.

Hoseok, the apprentice there, couldn’t hold in his laughter and Hyungwon reads the characters Kihyun must have written on it. They’re characters for silence and Hyungwon laughs too.

Minhyuk takes it off his forehead, and pouts as he reads over it too.

“You can’t play with talismans like that,” Hoseok reprimands Kihyun gently after his own laughter has ceased and Kihyun just shrugs nonchalantly.

“We should head for practice,” Kihyun just tells him then, getting up and dusting off the tunic he always wears for practice. He then takes Hoseok’s hand and helps him get up too.

Before they all leave for a practice at their selected destination for the day (it’s the riverside), Minhyuk has nudged Hyungwon and shown him his drawing.

“I drew you,” he tells Hyungwon. And on the piece of thin paper is a drawing of a rather tall young man, dressed in the usual robe. The ink is watered down at some strokes, coloring the dark robes Hyungwon would always wear. The drawing is almost plain to the eyes, but the strokes speak of honed skills with the brush. It’s simple, but Hyungwon knows it’s him. Minhyuk draws well. “A drawn picture can also keep memories, don’t they?” He mutters more to himself, as if thinking of something completely different than the thoughts in Hyungwon’s mind.

So he just smiles amusedly at Minhyuk as Minhyuk gets up, catching up with his friends. And Hyungwon folds the paper properly and tucks it into his robe before leaving the Moon Shrine.

The way to the bamboo forest is quite a hike, that Hyungwon grows tired quickly, groaning slightly as he climbs the mountain, the last one in line. It’s colder up there at the ravine, the stream’s current flowing much stronger at the steep angle. Hyungwon hugs his robe jacket tighter around himself at the temperature, trying to warm his fingers by blowing on them every now and then.

They had some hot steamed buns on their way, courtesy of the villagers who are always offering the Moonborn gifts whenever they see him. They make it known that it was their honor to live at the same time as the Moonborn each time they offer their little snacks. 

It is a nice privilege to leech on— Kihyun has admitted while they were eating the bun that wafts steam into the cold air.

Hyungwon has come to notice how the villagers would _always_ be glad to see Minhyuk around, treating him with so much kindness. He thinks it’s the role Minhyuk would play for the Moon ritual. He did say he plays an important one. Which raises Hyungwon’s anticipation for his coming performance even more.

“Come on, Hyungwon, we’re almost there.”

He looks up to find that Minhyuk has reached out a hand to him, standing on a higher soil from Hyungwon. The red maple branches rustle behind him, seconding the invitation. He’s the most energetic one yet, still lively on the hike.

Hyungwon stares at the hand offered to him, and takes it without thinking much. Minhyuk smiles at him as he pulls as an effort of helping Hyungwon make his way up.

Minhyuk’s hand is warm, encasing his tenderly as they walk together.

“Your hand’s really cold,” Minhyuk points out with a soft chuckle, squeezing the cold, stiff fingers in his hand to make his point.

Hyungwon feels the warmth creeping up his cheeks, feeling grateful for the warmth but at the same time wishing the color it brings isn’t so obvious on his face. “And your hand is really warm.”

Minhyuk’s smile widens at that statement, looking so plain but magnificently blinding in his whiteness against the red and brown of the forest and surroundings. “I have always been told that. I like that I have warm hands.”

“It’s nice.” Hyungwon squeezes his hand, and doesn’t let go as they continue their hike.

It’s easier to go up when there’s a hand to hold, Hyungwon realizes. And Minhyuk, with a soft blush on his cheeks, seems to have the same realization when he notices they are still holding hands by the time they arrive in the bamboo forest.

Hyungwon chuckles slightly when they let go, feeling the fingertips brushing against his palm ever so softly, thinking how funny it is that both of them hadn’t let go when they didn’t need help anymore.

At this place, there are only bamboo trees around. The other trees have faded away and they come to a waterfall. The crashing water echoes softly among the bamboos, a serene background noise.

“What game do you guys used to play here?” Hyungwon asks, watching Kihyun wash his hands at the stream, looking small squatting there on the ground.

“Hide and seek,” Minhyuk answers, taking a seat next to Hyungwon on a log, dusting off his hands.

Hoseok squats next to Kihyun, and offers his hands. Kihyun cups some water in his, and lets them wash away through Hoseok’s fingers. The actions seem so natural to Hyungwon, and he feels almost envious at how easily the two seem to communicate without words. He wonders if it has anything to do with them always fighting each other with different weapons for practice to be able to read each other so well like that.

“There’s a story,” Kihyun cranes his neck to look at Hyungwon. “A few generations ago, the Nine-tailed Fox appeared in this forest in the form of a person.”

“Oh,” Hyungwon responds curiously. He’s heard of the spirit before, always roaming the forest. Some people worship them as a deity, some claim them as a demon. Some just acknowledge them as a forest spirit or guardian.

“And the fox befriended the generation’s Moonborn when they first met here.”

And the story is actually a cautionary tale, Hyungwon finds. People have those all the time. They’re passed down from a generation to another one, spoken from the elders to the youths and the cycle repeats. The truth behind them never really mattered, it was the message behind it that truly does.

“The Moonborn and the spirit fell in love, but love is forbidden for the Moonborn, especially when they’re close to coming of age and the Full Moon Ritual. So the High Priestess at the time wouldn’t allow the Moonborn to see the spirit anymore prior to the 13 night confinement.

But in retaliation, before the confinement could even proceed the spirit infiltrated the village and kidnapped the Moonborn, and brought the Moonborn here.”

Hyungwon looks up at the tall bamboo trees. The sky is covered there, sunlight comes in patches on the ground.

“The fox hid the Moonborn among the trees while the villagers looked for the Moonborn. And the hide and seek proceeded to continue past the 13 night confinements. That was when the Calamity hit, because the Full Moon Ritual was never executed on time. And the village was shrouded in darkness without the moon, and all sufferings and evil spirits crossed over from the world of the dead to terrorize the whole village.”

Minhyuk shudders, like he is just hearing some scary stories that adults tell to children to make them sleep early, and has nothing to do of his kind.

“What happens then?” Hyungwon asks, because they’re here, and the village is in peace, another Full Moon Ritual coming soon too.

Hoseok continues the story for Kihyun. “The then High Priestess asked for the deity of the stone markers to show them the way to the hidden Moonborn. And they found him. So they carried out the Full Moon Ritual on the next full moon night— even in the darkness and without the Moon; to appease the calamity and the rift that was opening between the two worlds of the dead and living. The Moon reappeared the following night and the village was shrouded in darkness no more.”

“And that is why we are here,” Kihyun shrugs.

“Is this true?” Hyungwon asks them, and he can see Hoseok looking a little surprised at the question that he kind of regrets questioning the truth of such cautionary tale.

But Hoseok answers anyway. “I would not risk to find out the truth, we have been executing the Full Moon Ritual to prevent such Calamity to return. Keep the people and the village safe, and we have been living in peace from then on.”

“Besides,” Minhyuk joins in. “we Moonborns are here for a reason.”

Hyungwon looks at him, and Minhyuk returns his gaze, smiling rather proudly.

“True or not,” Kihyun decides to say, rolling up his pants. “At least we know what _not_ to do.”

He then steps into the stream, shivering instantly at the coldness that hits his skin. Hoseok laughs, walking over to tie up his robe and stepping into the water too. He laughs at the coldness too.

Hyungwon hears them talking about catching fishes with their bare hands like the old days.

“Has love always been forbidden for you?” Hyungwon turns to Minhyuk, and Minhyuk who has taken a twig to scratch at the ground looks at him confusedly. Hyungwon fidgets a little with the hem of his sleeves under Minhyuk’s gaze.

“Yeah,” Minhyuk answers with a small smile, he seems to have no problem with that. Hyungwon assumes he’s been warned of it since he was young. “Moonborns aren’t made for it. It might interfere with our roles for the ritual so we have been practicing celibacy across generations, remain chaste.”

“Why?” Hyungwon asks rather meekly, looking down at the ground now.

Minhyuk shrugs. “It was said that if Moonborns… commit some acts of _impurity_ , the color of our hair would turn black, and we lose our ability to perform our roles in the ritual. Because that means we have _sinned_.”

“Does your mother tell you that?” He asks instead.

Minhyuk hums questioningly. But he takes a second to think about it, then chuckles slightly in understanding. “The High Priestess? Yes.”

Hyungwon blinks.

“You know, I was adopted by her.”

“Oh,” Hyungwon blinks again. His father did not mention that before when they were discussing Moonborns. But he does recall the Priestess informing them that the manor takes in a lot of people. Including Hoseok.

Minhyuk scratches at the ground again, aimlessly, just keeping himself focused on one thing. “My real parents… passed away when I was really young. They got into an accident with some others when they had work outside the village. So the Lee family took me in, and the High Priestess has personally taken care of me since then.”

Hyungwon smiles at him. Because Minhyuk is smiling too, looking grateful that he was taken in by such family that he’s able to grow up to this age.

“She’s a little strict, but she cares for me, and I care for her too,” Minhyuk murmurs, thoughtfully, sincerely.

“I guess, she is your mother too.”

And Minhyuk laughs slightly, nodding at Hyungwon’s words.

They fall into silence, as Minhyuk just keeps himself preoccupied with what it is he’s drawing on the ground now, and Hyungwon watches Hoseok and Kihyun trying to catch fish in the water, yet failing each time. He thinks they’re being too noisy for the fishes to even come close.

“I think Kihyun and Hoseok will get married someday,” Minhyuk speaks up.

Hyungwon continues to watch the two walking in the water, calves deep and Kihyun helps Hoseok steady himself on his feet by holding onto his hand.

“Why do you say that?” He asks in return, amused.

“Look at them, they’ve always been like that around each other. I think they have always cared for each other more than anything yet they just never admitted to it. And I think when they do, they would end up getting married and living happily and growing old together.”

Hyungwon chuckles, already imagining the two getting married. Minhyuk is right, Hoseok and Kihyun obviously care for each other, more than as the group of friends they are, and more than just two individuals who have known each other ever since they were born in the same village.

“I hope,” Minhyuk mutters. “Any doubts and insecurities they have will be lifted during the Full Moon Ritual, and then they will finally get married.”

Minhyuk sounds a little envious, already imagining the happy life the two will lead in the future he makes up in his mind. And Hyungwon notices it, notices how Minhyuk’s sitting here on the ground and the two are in the water. If Hyungwon wasn’t here Minhyuk would be sitting alone.

“Love is forbidden for you because of the Moon Ritual,” Hyungwon utters under the sound of the waterfall and rustling bamboo trees. “But what about after the ritual?”

Minhyuk stops his actions, and looks at him. He then smiles, almost awkwardly— _embarrassed_ , before he looks away again and dusting off his hands.

“After the ritual, nothing matters.”

And he gets up then, runs to his friends. He ties up his white robe too, steps into the water while his two friends reach for his hands, and he almost squeals at the coldness.

They shout for Hyungwon to come over and join them.

They catch no fish, and Hyungwon tells them it might be because they’re too noisy and they all groan showing how they’re displeased with the rational comment.

They still don’t catch any fish anyway.

And somehow it turns into a game of pushing someone into the water and under the sound of the gushing waterfall and rustling bamboo forest, there is a sound of the laughter of the four youths who are losing track of time.

And Minhyuk is the first one to fall into the water, with a loud shriek that has a flock of birds immediately flying off the trees.

“Ow,” he grimaces in the cold water, and Kihyun gasps worriedly when he sees a stream of red in the water.

The others notice too, and they help Minhyuk get up quickly, and Minhyuk’s sleeve turns red when they roll it up his arm, and finds a small wound on his elbow.

“Must have been the rocks,” Minhyuk chuckles slightly.

“We should get you back to the village,” Hyungwon takes a hold of his wrist to prevent him from touching the wound, but Minhyuk’s hand stiffens in his hold.

“No need,” Minhyuk tells him and before Hyungwon could retaliate, he points to his elbow again. “Look.”

And with his other hand— and with Hyungwon’s fingers still around his wrist— he brushes the blood away and then all Hyungwon can see is his pale skin which is unscathed. The wound has perfectly healed within seconds and all that is left is his blood that drips off his elbow with the water, and the red on his white sleeve— the only evidence that he had hurt himself.

“You… You’ve healed,” Hyungwon whispers, looking closer at the skin so he knows his eyes are not playing tricks on him.

“Yeah, so no need to worry,” Minhyuk grins at him.

Hyungwon looks at him, bewildered. He has never seen anything like that before. There are machines that run on fuel and produce smoke to move, machines that capture a sight permanently— but he has never seen a person whose wound heals in seconds and leaves no trace of hurt in its process. Not even a scar.

He touches the skin where the wound has been, breathless, overwhelmed.

Moonborns. Immortality.

Those weren’t just some made up beliefs.

“Ah, well.” Kihyun snaps him out of his trance. “The privilege of a Moonborn.”

He nudges at Minhyuk a little, teasing and Minhyuk just laughs.

“Should’ve seen the look on Hyungwon’s face though,” Hoseok chuckles slightly as he helps the Moonborn find his balance in the flowing stream. “The last time someone looks so shocked seeing Minhyuk was when he cut his hair.”

“When he cut his hair?” Hyungwon asks with curiosity while Kihyun and Minhyuk laugh at the shared memories.

“Back then, Minhyuk used to have this long white hair that the shrine maidens would brush at every morning,” Kihyun explains, dusting off his sleeves.

“And I _hated_ it,” Minhyuk grumbles, as Hyungwon stares at his short white hair, wondering how it would look, long and silky under the sun. Wondering how Minhyuk would look like. “It was a nuisance.”

“Cutting hair was forbidden for the Moonborn back then,” Hoseok tells Hyungwon. “It was somehow believed that it was one of the sins— acts of impurity, that once they cut their white hair they will lose their supernatural abilities, and the Moon would scorn the rejection of Her blessing that their hair would turn black after.”

“But Minhyuk,” Kihyun nudges at the Moonborn with a displeased grunt. “Being the rebel that he was, stole a pair of scissors from my house one day and cut them all away. Imagine the High Priestess’s shock when she found him with a pair of scissors in his hand, and his hair all chopped away. If you were there, you’d think everyone was going to die even before the Calamity hits with the way they panicked over it. But what did we know, his hair stayed white.”

Kihyun crosses his arms together, frowning now, thinking back to those days. Hyungwon can’t even imagine the chaos that must have occurred in the manor when that happened.

“I guess that wasn’t considered an act of impurity,” Minhyuk scratches at his head apologetically. “And I’m sorry Kihyun.”

Kihyun smiles at his friend. “For what? For stealing the scissors from my home and consequently dragging me into the punishment? That was a long time ago. And they were just scared they had lost the generation’s Moonborn and the ritual.”

“It was a pretty harsh punishment,” Minhyuk whispers rather sorrowfully, averting Kihyun’s gaze as he bends down, washing his stained sleeve to distract himself.

Kihyun watches with a hardened expression, and when he feels Hyungwon’s concerned stare on him he merely mutters under his breath as he turns slightly away, “Mine was nothing. You should have seen the welt marks on the back of Minhyuk’s legs.” Hyungwon turns to watch him crush at the dried leaves on the ground. “But how could you? They healed.”

Confused, Hyungwon couldn’t say anything to that as they all fell silent, and it’s just the sound of the waterfall and steady flow of the stream again. 

Hoseok and Hyungwon end up trying to help wash Minhyuk’s sleeves in the water though, because instead of being scared of the injury earlier, they’re now scared of the High Priestess finding out Minhyuk hurt himself. Kihyun watched while he sat on a log, his chin in one palm, looking thoughtful but bored.

They only managed to get the bloodstain fading to a pink color, before they all grew tired and too cold in the water.

They get out and squeeze the water out of their now wet clothes. Kihyun helps Hoseok squeeze out the water off his long priestly sleeves.

“Here, I’ll help.” Hyungwon finds himself reaching out for Minhyuk. Minhyuk looks at him almost confusedly.

“You were the one who fell in the water,” he explains to Minhyuk, and takes the pink stained sleeve in his hand, and starts wringing out the water while Minhyuk wrings the other sleeve dry. There are waterdrops falling off the strands of his white hair too.

On the other hand Hyungwon’s top half is dry and the skirt of his robe is just damp from the splashing the others have done.

“Thank you,” Minhyuk smiles at him happily after he’s done, then shaking his head to get the water off his hair.

The others shout at him for doing so since the water gets to them too and he just laughs mischievously at them. Hyungwon shakes his head at their antics.

They sit to regain their energy for a while, and Hyungwon takes something out of his bag.

“I brought the camera,” he tells them. He’s borrowed it for the day from his father. Told him he’d like to take pictures of his friends.

His father had smiled at him warmly. Said it was good that he has friends his age in the village and are getting along so well.

“Can I try taking a picture?” Kihyun asks.

Hyungwon teaches him how to use it, how to look through the small window of the viewfinder. He takes a picture of the waterfall, and is excited to take another one. Hoseok tells him to take a picture of him and Hyungwon standing by the trees. And Hoseok takes his turn to take a picture of Kihyun next.

“Where is Minhyuk?” Kihyun suddenly asks.

They look around, and Minhyuk’s nowhere to be found. Confused, Hyungwon searches around with his eyes, through the orange and browns of the autumn bamboos— just to find that hint of white but Minhyuk is nowhere to be seen.

Kihyun’s groans diminishes his worry immediately though, as he hands Hyungwon his camera back and starts looking.

“Minhyuk,” he calls out. “We’re not children anymore! Quit it! It’s not time for a hide and seek game!”

Hoseok sighs, but starts looking for him in another direction anyway.

Puzzled, Hyungwon goes in another direction too, starts looking for him.

Is this how it would feel like, if he had been one of the villagers looking for the Moonborn hidden by the Nine-tailed Fox? He finds himself thinking.

And he hastens his steps, looks around almost frantically, wanting to be the one to find the Moonborn while Kihyun groans again, whining to Hoseok about how it’s tiring to play the game now that they are much older. They need to get home soon.

Hoseok calls for Minhyuk gently. The patient apprentice that he is.

Hyungwon keeps quiet.

Because he sees the crumpled white among the bamboos clustered in the forest. And he immediately smiles to himself, taking careful steps to not make a sound too loud on the dry leaves.

He raises the camera and focuses on the cluster.

And Minhyuk raises his head, finds him finding him.

Minhyuk smiles silently as he raises himself from his hiding place, intrigued by the camera in Hyungwon’s hand.

Hyungwon takes a picture.

“You found me,” Minhyuk then hops up onto his feet, dusting off his robe excitedly to run towards Hyungwon.

“Not that difficult considering the surrounding,” Hyungwon gestures to the forest and Minhyuk himself.

Minhyuk laughs embarrassedly, looking down at his white, damp robe. “I used to be better at it, when I was smaller and could cram myself into my hiding spots. Don’t tell Kihyun, but I still remember where they are.”

Hyungwon nods amusedly and reaches for the dead leaf in his hair. Minhyuk stares up at him as he does so, taking a very small step back from the action. Noticing that, Hyungwon shows him that he was just taking out a leaf from his hair, finds Minhyuk’s eyes shimmering as they just stare into Hyungwon’s almost searchingly.

Minhyuk blinks and looks away then, already walking off to call the others.

They walk down the mountain, Kihyun telling Minhyuk again that they are too old for games like that. And Minhyuk telling Hyungwon how Kihyun once cried because he was scared when he couldn’t find Minhyuk and Hoseok.

While Hoseok places a hand sympathetically on Kihyun’s shoulder, Minhyuk just laughs at the memories, eyes lingering on the hand on the shoulder.

“Did it scare you?” Minhyuk asks Hyungwon instead, when he finds Hyungwon looking at his pink sleeve. “When I got hurt.”

Hyungwon scoffs a little. It did. But only because he didn’t know any better.

“Did nobody tell you about it?”

Hyungwon wants to tell him that he never really pried once he’s heard about the immortality of the Moonborns, simply because he doubts it. But that doesn’t sound fair now when he’s seen it with his own eyes. “I didn’t know… immortality would entail… that,” he simply answers.

Minhyuk shrugs. “It’s a nice gift to be born with, I think.”

He then crosses his arms as they walk through the trees, on the same path they had taken to go up. He shudders in the cold weather, rubbing at his arms, so Hyungwon promptly takes off his robe jacket, and places it on both of his shoulders.

Minhyuk looks at him to smile a thank you, pulling the jacket robe closer around himself. Hyungwon nods slightly, knowing how cold it must be to be dressed in his damp robe. He was the only one soaked in water earlier after all.

When they arrived back at the village however, they found the High Priestess already waiting for them, the Old Shaman with her and a guard standing tall behind her too.

Hyungwon thinks he hears Kihyun cursing under his breath, but maybe he had mistaken it as they approached the elders.

“I remember telling you not to stray too far away,” the High Priestess speaks with such authority that Minhyuk blinks guiltily. “especially when the ritual’s approaching.”

“I’m sorry mother,” Minhyuk drops his head, his voice quiet.

Before he could go to her he turns to Hyungwon and Hyungwon helps him take the robe jacket off his shoulders. He then quickly scurries towards the High Priestess, and the old woman is staring at Hyungwon.

Hyungwon bows to show respect but her expression is stiff, curt, calculating. He clutches on the robe jacket in his hands, not knowing what to do or say.

She then looks at Minhyuk’s pink sleeve, and only then her expression changes into slight surprise.

She doesn’t say anything, yet she grabs him by the arm so they can start walking away.

Hyungwon watches them all leave without so much as a goodbye with Hoseok and Kihyun standing by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw is it obvious that I couldn't think of a name for the other characters like the priestess and shaman so I just refer to them as their titles? its also because im too lazy to come up with names too lmao
> 
> Hope everyone's having a good day/night cause im not (but hey at least i updated on time!), and you should leave a feedback while you're here! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Hyungwon tells his father all about what he saw and learned. 

How it wasn’t just some superstition or made up belief. That Minhyuk can heal immediately and the healings leave no scars.

His father listens intently about what had transpired only earlier that day, but there’s still a shadow of doubt on his face.

“It’s true, father,” he says. “I saw it with my own two eyes. Maybe Moonborns _are_ immortal.”

“Fascinating,” the old man only says as he jots them down in his book. Hands moving fast, handwriting hastened with the new information.

And Hyungwon can’t even focus on poetries or note writing that night, as he finds himself just staring at the blue flame in the lantern on the table.

After too long of empty stares which produced nothing good of the time spent, Hyungwon decides to excuse himself out of the room.

He then walks the hallway of the manor, lined with more blue flames to light the way. From a corridor he could see down the hearth room. Usually some people would gather there, drinking hot tea, sharing stories. Sometimes his father joins them but not Hyungwon.

If he was to be honest, the thought of sitting there, drinking tea with the High Priestess and Old Shaman intimidates him. 

Late this night though, the enormous room is empty, the hearth only glows little orange from the previous occupants.

He roams through more hallways, the layout of the manor resembling a maze, until he passes through some apprentices’ rooms, and wonders where Hoseok’s room is in the manor. Hoseok never really invited him to his room, despite him living in the same, enormous manor.

He steps foot in a quiet hallway, quieter than the other ones, and the rooms are all hauntingly dark, except for one room at the end, where the doors emit a faint bluish glow, occupied.

He was looking around, fearing that he’s lost when he stopped.

“Why would you let yourself be clouded with doubts?” A soft but stern voice echoes through the hallway.

Hyungwon can only pick up one voice talking in the otherwise deathly quiet part of the manor.

“Have you not understood the blessing bestowed upon you?”

Curious, he softens his steps on the wooden floor, fearing creaks that might speak of his presence. He finds one of the doors left opened only to be blocked by a folding screen depicting the sight of two mountains watched over the full moon. The only way one can go inside is by walking around the folding screen, but Hyungwon stays behind it, and peeks through the gap of the fold.

He sees the High Priestess standing in front of Minhyuk who’s on his knees, palms touching the floor, like he’s just fallen. He could not see the woman’s face, but could see Minhyuk with his head lowered, panting. His face glistens with sweat, his white hair gleams like silver in the bluish light.

The room is spacious, empty except for some folding screens in the corners.

“The Moon Ritual is approaching, and I feel rather sad that you have not understood.”

“It’s not that I don’t understand, mother,” Minhyuk answers, sounding a little frustrated, like he’s misunderstood. “The dance moves are rather difficult—”

“You are practicing, are you not?”

Minhyuk seems different when he’s around the High Priestess, Hyungwon notes. More docile, softer, and dare he assumes… fearful? His shoulders close in on himself as he gasps for air, looking weary even as he’s catching his breaths.

“Is the ritual for the village not of any importance to you anymore?”

Minhyuk shakes his head, eyes shutting briefly.

“Is that why you have been out past sunset?”

Minhyuk looks up at her, lips trembling with words to deny her statement, but in one brief second he changes his thoughts and could only say, “I’m sorry, mother. That was a mistake. I will practice harder.”

The Priestess sighs. The look on her face is unfathomable, just like the time Minhyuk returns to the village with his friends and a stained sleeve from the bamboo forest.

“I just want the best for you, my son,” She then says, sitting down and reaching for his chin, so Minhyuk would look up at her. “You are important to the village, we want you to always be safe. The ritual has to proceed smoothly for the Moon to continue blessing us. And you are the only one who can ensure that.”

Hyungwon can see her face now, her expression is soft, warm. She smiles at Minhyuk.

“You are so pure. You have always been such a good child. Have I not told you how you have brought so much light into the manor ever since you were taken in? You fit in so well with everyone here.”

Minhyuk is quiet, just staring at her with those shimmering eyes that is reminiscent of the time Hyungwon took out a dead leaf from his white hair.

“You did, mother,” he whispers, swallowing a lump in his throat.

She then cups at his face, thumb rubbing his cheek. She sighs a little, almost tiredly, almost forlornly. “You are such a blessing, Moonborn. To the people. This village. You are very special, do you know that?”

Minhyuk smiles at her. He nods, taking her hand.

That’s when his expression changes slightly, eyebrows furrowing and immediately, his eyes find Hyungwon.

Shocked, Hyungwon just removes himself from the screen, quickly walking out of the room. He has no knowledge whether the Moonborn did see him, but his heart pounds, and maybe it’s because he has peeked into what he isn’t supposed to be seeing.

He walks soundlessly through the hallways, finding his way back to his room when he bumps into Hoseok out in the annex.

“Oh, Hyungwon,” Hoseok beams at him. “Never seen you around here before,” he jokes, seeming to have come to the realization they never see each other in the huge manor too.

Hyungwon wills his heart to calm down, swallowing a lump in his throat and nodding. The bushes around them rustle with the soft night breeze. Hyungwon tries not to look up at the Moon peeking through the cloudy night sky.

“Where are you headed to?” Hoseok asks good naturedly.

“Just roaming around, I find it hard to sleep tonight.”

Hoseok just nods understandingly.

“What about you? It’s rather late to still be awake, don’t you think?”

“I just returned from Kihyun’s house, his family invited me for dinner. Now I’m just going to see the High Priestess for a while. She has requested my presence.”

Hyungwon looks back at the hallway he came from. Thinking about Minhyuk’s soft smile for the woman who has graciously taken him in when he lost his parents. His change of demeanour. 

“I think it might be about the choosing of the Engravers for the ritual.”

Hoseok seems nervous about the meeting, now that Hyungwon is able to scrutinize his expression after he pushes off the image of Minhyuk’s smile in his mind.

“I hope you get chosen,” he tells Hoseok.

Hoseok nods, and then wishes him a goodnight.

Hyungwon came down with a fever the next day. As if he was the one who had been drenched from head to toe in the stream among the bamboos.

His father leaves him alone in the room after making sure he was sleeping it away, excusing himself to resume his duties as a folklorist in the village.

Hyungwon didn’t mind. The sleep is peaceful for once— blank and empty— despite the heat of the fever sending chills down each and every one of his limbs.

It’s raining outside. The pitter patter of the rain beating against the closed window sounds like knockings, just an inquiry of invitation.

He’s so focused on the sound of the rain that he failed to discern the actual sound of knockings on the door.

The door slides open, and he cracks an eye open at the sound, looking at whom it may be as he lifts his head a little.

By the open door is Minhyuk, sitting on his knees with a tray of what seems to be a cup of tea and a basin of water. Dressed in an unstained, crisp white robe as usual, the sleeves clean and pure but tied up to his elbows. He’s probably been doing chores all day. With wary eyes, Hyungwon watches, thinking back to the night where Minhyuk had seemed so different when presenting himself to the High Priestess. It was such a jarring difference to the one Hyungwon sees everyday, that it was hard for him not to notice them now.

“I heard you came down with a fever,” Minhyuk smiles softly at him, the smile genuine and his voice low as if careful of interrupting the calming silence the room has been in that it only comes out raspy. “May I come in?”

“Of course,” Hyungwon nods slightly, lying back down on his pillow as Minhyuk takes the tray into his hands, moves into the room on his knees and slides the door close again.

“I brought you herbal tea,” Minhyuk mutters, moving closer to the sick young man. “I thought it might help.”

“Thank you, that’s very considerate of you,” Hyungwon croaks out, still not quite awake that he coughs out under the heavy blankets his father has placed on him.

“It’s not a big deal,” Minhyuk says, graceful hands reaching for the hems of the blankets and pulling them down. He seems used to the actions, like he’s done it for years. “I was always in charge of taking care of the sick. When the flu season comes I’d be tasked to take care of patients in the manor all because I don’t get sick.”

“Oh,” Hyungwon groans out a little as he struggles to sit up, Minhyuk's helpful hands helping him steady himself. His hands are warm against Hyungwon’s shoulders, moving to rub at his back soothingly when Hyungwon gets into a coughing fit.

He then quickly takes the cup off the tray and lifts it to Hyungwon’s lips. The tea is hot, and steaming, the liquid scalding his lips but he sips at the tea under the Moonborn’s worried gaze and immediately jerks away from Minhyuk at the taste on his tongue.

“That’s _bitter_!” He blurts out, coughing again with a burned tongue.

“Well, it’s medicinal,” Minhyuk answers, laughing a little as he settles to comfortingly patting Hyungwon on the back. “Come on, finish it up and you’ll feel better by the time the Moon rises.”

With a hand on his mouth, he looks at Minhyuk doubtfully. He’s never really been one to willingly choose to consume something so bitter, but Minhyuk’s stare on him is convincing enough, what with the gleam in his night-sky colored eyes. Like he’s telling Hyungwon to trust his experience of taking care of the sick and to fully trust him on this.

So Hyungwon takes the cup from him carefully and starts drinking, eyes scrunched close as he hears the thudding of Minhyuk getting up off his knees and walking to the window.

“The fresh air will do you good,” Minhyuk says, pushing the window open, and the rain has slowed down to drizzle. The chill, but refreshing breeze of autumn rain blows into the room immediately, hitting Hyungwon through the bones but true to Minhyuk’s words, it actually wakes him up a bit.

Minhyuk is quick to take the cup away from his hands once he’s finished, sitting next to Hyungwon on his knees again. He pushes Hyungwon gently at the shoulder, to let him lie down again.

In the little sunlight of the rainy day, Hyungwon watches the way his hair shines in the light coming from the window as the Moonborn’s busying himself by putting away the books of poetries and notes Hyungwon has around him from last night’s reading and work. As he watches Minhyuk, he finds the Moonborn shaking his head amusedly at the amount of books, thumbing through the pages of poetries quickly with a small amused scoffing sound escaping his lips. He puts them away neatly on the table behind him.

Hyungwon feels so taken care of by the simple actions, as Minhyuk hovers over him now, and he embarrassingly finds himself trying to avoid looking into the other’s robe from their position as the folds expose an expanse of unblemished, pale skin. It’s rather difficult to shoo away the wonder of how the salt of the skin so close to him would taste like, when the scent is so potent in the proximity, smelling strangely like the night. 

The fever is clouding all senses of rationality, it seems, Hyungwon hates it. 

Within seconds, all the heat’s creeping up to his flushed cheeks when he finds the dark blue eyes finding his once Minhyuk rests a hand on his forehead to check on his temperature. Minhyuk stops all actions, his other hand on the side of Hyungwon’s head supporting him as he stares down at Hyungwon, a soft red now dusting his cheeks.

With his pupils dilating like a blooming night, Minhyuk parted his lips as if to say something, but promptly decided against it when he pulls away, looking everywhere else but Hyungwon, sputtering out anything he could say out of his mouth as he fixes his robe by the lapels, suddenly self-conscious.

“Well, that was it, the tea should help you feel much better soon, and from your temperature I think the worst of the fever has subsided.”

Hyungwon only foolishly nods, feeling bewildered from the proximity that somehow whispered intimacy just seconds ago.

Minhyuk’s dipping a cloth into the basin of water now, wringing it immediately after taking it out of the water. His pale hands showed his blue veins that Hyungwon stares at. Despite his delicateness and pureness with his white hair and white robe, presented like a fragile porcelain, Minhyuk’s hands showed tenacity, and resilience built along the years he’s lived to his coming of age.

The room falls silent again, Minhyuk’s repeating the dipping and wringing as if for distraction, eyes staring emptily into the basin of water.

“I owe you an explanation,” Minhyuk suddenly murmurs, hands pausing the wringing. He smoothens the crinkles from the actions with dainty movement of his fingers. “When I told you you reminded me of a person I’ve met before, that wasn’t really true.”

Hyungwon looks up at him with fever clouded eyes.

“I mean, it wasn’t a lie too,” Minhyuk chuckles a little, head tilted in his own confusion. As if he hasn’t made sense of it either. “This person, I don’t even know him.”

Curiosity pulls Hyungwon a little more alert in his fever-ridden weakness. “Then who is he?”

“I met him in a dream,” Minhyuk says, blinking down at the damp cloth in his hand, and as though he just remembered, he moves to brush at Hyungwon’s fringes carefully and dabs at his forehead with the cloth. It cools Hyungwon’s skin, and fortunately helps Hyungwon feel more clear minded as he listens to Minhyuk talking in a low voice, “It was a very memorable dream, so I remember everything. How he looked like, the way he looked at me, the sound of his voice. Down to all the little details. People say you only remember dreams that are supposed to tell you something. So I held on to whatever I remember of it, trying to decipher what it was telling me. So I was surprised when I saw you back in that banquet room.”

He turns away again, soaking the cloth into the water again.

“But that was just a dream.”

“What was he doing? In that dream?” Hyungwon asks, and Minhyuk looks at him quickly, like he wasn’t expecting the question— let alone a wrong one too, and there’s a deep blush expanding on his cheeks as he blinks at Hyungwon.

Hyungwon blinks in return too, confused by the reaction.

“He was— um,” he clears his throat after swallowing down a lump, dabbing at Hyungwon’s neck this time to distract himself and avoiding Hyungwon’s eyes. “He was doing things. We were at this unfamiliar place— a strange foreign place that I have never been to before and we were— we were—” He stops there, pulling his hands away from Hyungwon, clutching at the damp cloth in his hands tightly as he bites his lips to stop whatever words were about to come out of his mouth.

Hyungwon blinks confusedly at him again, and notices how red Minhyuk has turned, it’s so obvious against his white hair and white robe. The whiteness leaves him with nothing to hide himself into, like a full moon in a cloudless night sky.

It dawns on Hyungwon then, with Minhyuk’s flushing face, his hesitance.

It was a wet dream.

Hyungwon’s gotten one, and knows what a taboo it could be to how difficult and odd it would be for one to disclose the details of it to another.

So he coughs to lighten the heavy awkwardness that has descended over both of them, looking away too. It has turned really warm underneath the blankets, he’s sweating profusely.

“It was just a dream,” Minhyuk says then, finally looking at Hyungwon and Hyungwon receives the worried gaze with an assuring nod. “The, uh— When I found out that it was a dream demonstrating the acts of impurity I ceased to think and ponder about it. The Old Shaman told me it was just a natural thing to have happened, and to not think too much about it.”

Hyungwon agrees so he nods again, swallowing a lump in his throat.

“Besides, what are dreams but fallible memories. And those things— everyone gets it but they aren’t meant for _me_ ,” he recites, like he’s told the words before and he’s just repeating it from memories. “That’s it,” Minhyuk unrolls and rolls the cloth in his hands, dunking it in the water and squeezing them out again and then folding it neatly before he carefully lays it on Hyungwon’s burning forehead. He’s tucking him back into the blankets, taking care of the corners around his neck and shoulders. Hyungwon feels warm already and couldn’t help but notice how careful he is that not even the tips of his fingers touched Hyungwon. “I am aware it is a strange thing to tell you, but I thought you should know that when I left the banquet room I was not appalled or repulsed by your first impression.”

Like a fool, Hyungwon just nods again. “You were just surprised.”

“Yes.”

Minhyuk pulls himself a step away from Hyungwon then, still sitting on his knees as he gathers everything he’s brought over into the tray again.

When he makes a move to leave, Hyungwon instinctively reaches out of the blanket to grasp at his pale hand, and Minhyuk gasps—almost inaudible, frozen in place as he looks down at Hyungwon questioningly. Expectantly.

Hyungwon opens his mouth before he searches what to say, leaving them in a heartbeat of silence without the heartbeat, and whispers, “Thanks again.”

Minhyuk inhales a deep breath, his fingers gently taking a hold of Hyungwon’s hand in return as he squeezes. “I’ll come back later in the day with another cup of the herbal tea.” When he sees Hyungwon suppressing a frustrated groan at the thought of the bitter medicinal drink, he laughs out the sound of small tinkling bells, like those hanging outside the Moon Shrine. “I’ll bring you some of my favorite sweets too, to help lessen the bitterness.”

Hyungwon nods appreciatively, unable to let any words out with his hand being wary of the warmth and softness of Minhyuk’s palm in his. He chokes on so many things he couldn’t say at that moment, and merely lets out, “Your hand really is warm.”

Minhyuk just smiles knowingly down at him, squeezing for one last time before his hand slips away from Hyungwon’s, turning away.

He closes the windows again, leaving the room in darkness as he whispers a wish for Hyungwon to rest well, closing the sliding door upon his leaving just like the way he arrived.

In the darkness, Hyungwon sighs to himself, thinking of burying himself under the blankets completely when he hears muffled voices right outside of the room.

“There you are, what are you doing here?” It’s the High Priestess, there’s no mistaking the stern voice.

“The guest came down with a fever, so I thought I’d visit to give him some medicine.” Minhyuk’s voice is softer behind closed doors.

There’s a small, pregnant pause.

“I told you not to go anywhere without permission,” the Priestess replies. “I know you’re helping with the chores, but this kind of chore is unnecessary.”

“Oh,” Minhyuk merely responds.

“Come now.”

Hyungwon listens to the thudding footsteps leaving outside the room, assuming the Priestess has taken Minhyuk away through the corridor.

The silence returns again.

Only to lead him to think back to Minhyuk’s dream, the person Minhyuk has remembered until now, and what all of it could mean.

Cursing the timing of the revelation that leaves him all alone under the hot blankets, trying to go back to sleep with the ghostly feeling of another’s hand in his stiff hand— that he stretches the fingers to make the feeling go away while simultaneously thinking of so many things at once.

Like the color white, and a particular soft, raspy voice.

When Hyungwon awakens from his fever slumber again, it’s from soft knockings against the door.

It slides open, and he’s met with the two shrine maidens, the smiling Dahyun and worried Mina.

No Minhyuk.

“We’re coming in,” Dahyun announces, crawling on her knees into the room and Mina clumsily dragging a tray inside behind her. “How are you feeling?”

Hyungwon smiles at the two girls. “Better than before,” he rasps out, trying not to sound and look disappointed.

Dahyun takes off the drying cloth from Hyungwon’s forehead. There’s a fresh one on the tray they have brought with him. And a fresh cup of hot tea. And a plate of colorful sweets too.

To Hyungwon’s delight; they are sliced, dried persimmons, so mouth-watering with the way they’re coated with fine, white sugar that he smiles at the sight of them.

He gets up with difficulty, pushing the heavy blankets off him while Dahyun takes the lid off the cup and offers him the tea.

“Thank you,” he whispers before drinking it in one shot. The bitterness is heavier this time for some reason.

“Have some sweets to help fight off the bitterness,” Dahyun scrunches her face knowingly, lifting the plate of sweets.

Hyungwon takes one, chews on it as Mina starts dunking the fresh cloth into the basin of water. Their movements and actions are less practiced as Minhyuk’s. They’re still clumsy, Dahyun helping Mina wringing the wet cloth, small delicate hands unlike Minhyuk’s strong ones.

Mina even loses grip of the cloth when she tries to dab it on Hyungwon’s forehead, and Hyungwon chuckles, tells the girls that he’ll be fine by himself as he removes the cloth over his face. He just needs to go back to sleep to recover.

Embarrassed, Mina apologizes for her clumsiness, “We don’t do this often, Minhyuk’s always in charge of the sick.”

Hyungwon shakes his head assuringly. “Both of you did fine, I just assumed you have more important things to do.”

“Nonsense!” Dahyun retorts, sounding much like her older brother that Hyungwon blinks in surprise. “You are a guest in this manor, and we take care of everyone in this manor.”

Hyungwon smiles at her fondly.

“But,” Dahyun sighs a little, picking up a small piece of the dried persimmon and plopping them into her mouth. “Minhyuk _does_ do it better than any of us. But he does everything well. He helps around the manor so much that he’s good at everything.”

Mina nods, helping herself with the sweets too, albeit more subtly. “He even volunteers to cut the onions to help the cooks.”

“That’s such a tearful task,” Dahyun hisses, shaking her head as if pained by an imaginary stinging onions. “He sets a standard too high in this manor. How are we supposed to follow that?”

Mina shrugs shyly.

“Well, I already feel so much better, thanks to your help,” Hyungwon tells them.

“Rest well then.” The two shrine maidens bow to him and leave the room.

Hyungwon doesn’t bother calling out to them that they left the tray of empty cup and plate, all the sweets gone now. No more of the chewy goodness that would dance on his tongue. No more of the white sugar that is soft against his fingertips. 

So he just lies back down under the blankets after slapping the still wet cloth onto his forehead, and goes back to sleep.

“Come back early today, we have a blessing ceremony to attend tonight.” Hyungwon's father has told him on a new day, before he left the manor with Hoseok to go about their day as usual.

They go around the village in the morning, visiting the shrines and the villagers seem excited about the blessing ceremony that will be held that night. They have strings and strings of bells and lanterns hanging around the shrines and houses, and the bells all tinkle softly with slight breeze. The ground is wet, it has been noticeably colder what with the rain lately.

“What is this blessing ceremony, actually?” Hyungwon asks Hoseok when they are heading to the training ground to get Kihyun.

“It is part of the Moon Ritual where we pray over the first full moon for Her blessing. We will bring the cauldron of the finished product of the ink for the ritual and ask for Her to bless it too.” Hoseok turns to Hyungwon. “You do remember the ink we have been working on right? After the ceremony it shall be called the Holy Ink and deemed suitable for the proceeding of the Moon Ritual.”

Hyungwon nods.

“We go through three full moons from tonight on, and the last one will be preceded by the—”

“13 nights confinement.”

Hoseok seems surprised that Hyungwon has completed the sentence for him.

“And what is this confinement period?”

Hoseok looks away again. Kihyun is in sight, practicing with a taller guard and hitting their wooden swords together. Kihyun may be a little shorter than most of the guards there, but he’s agile, and diligent. Hyungwon could see his determination from a swing of his sword alone.

“Moonborns are put into isolation for reflection and preparation for the return to the—”

“Hoseok! Hyungwon!” Kihyun waves at them when he sees them approaching.

The tall guard with Kihyun sees them too, and Hyungwon recognizes him as the man with the High Priestess the day Minhyuk was reprimanded for staying out until sunset. He nods at them as a greeting, before walking off wordlessly. He doesn’t look as friendly as the other youths.

“I see you’re training with Hyunwoo now,” Hoseok mutters as he takes out a handkerchief out of his sleeve and hands it to Kihyun.

Kihyun uses it to wipe at his sweaty face, chest heaving from the intense training. He looks exhilarated but still energetic, a big smile on his face.

“He is one of the best, of course I would take an opportunity to train with him,” Kihyun says as he leads the way to the hut nearby and sits down, taking his bottle of water to gulp at it.

They all sit and watch Hyunwoo talking to the other older guards. They all watch almost in awe, at how tall and well built the young man is, and also how sculpted his face looks. When Hoseok talks about how he has always been the best warrior and hunter there is in the village, they all just nod at the thought, thinking about how it is no wonder he is kept by the High Priestess’s side.

“Hoseok and Hyunwoo would have made a great pair,” Kihyun then tells Hyungwon, when one of the guards had approached Hoseok to ask him about the coming ritual. Hoseok must be a very knowledgeable apprentice to have so many people asking him questions all the time. “Hyunwoo asked him to join the training to be the guards, but Hoseok declined. He was good with the sword, but found that priesthood suits him better. Said he doesn’t want to train to hurt—” Kihyun blinks thoughtfully, “—but that’s where he got things wrong.”

Kihyun is looking down at the handkerchief in his hand. At one corner of the soft fabric, is a dark blue, embroidered Moondust. Just like the motifs Hoseok would work on his thin papers in preparation to be the Engraver.

“I train to protect, and never to hurt.”

He then crumples the handkerchief in his hand.

“What a coward,” Kihyun mutters under his breath, but Hyungwon knows he doesn’t mean it. Although he would admit he himself does not know what it truly means because Hoseok seems like anything but a coward.

When Hoseok returns to them, he returns with a soft smile on his face. “Should we head to the riverside? Minhyuk will come after he finishes his lesson with the High Priestess.”

At the mention of the High Priestess, Hyungwon gets a flash of the other night, seeing the priestess speaking to Minhyuk. And how soft, and demure Minhyuk acts around the priestess, head always bowed and so unlike the usual him who would shriek at anything that excites him by the river outside of the village. Is that how he would usually be, when he said he has his ritual lessons?

They head to the valley. There are some little boats in the distance, Kihyun tells Hyungwon they’re fishing. The full moon brings many catches.

They talk about nothing, throwing pebbles into the calm river to see who could make it skip the farthest.

Hyungwon looks up at the blue sky when he hears the zooming sound of engines and finds airplanes passing through. Hoseok and Kihyun look at them in awe, while Hyungwon frowns when he finds them heading to the south, where the town is.

Minhyuk doesn’t come. So they left when it was approaching sunset to get ready for the ceremony.

Hyungwon has put on one of the finer robes he has brought over when they arrived. And he and his father sit in their room together, waiting for the ceremony to start and occupying themselves with the notes for the old man’s work. Hyungwon was informed the ceremony would be held in the courtyard, in front of the Moon Shrine.

It has gotten much colder now, that he pulls his thick robe tighter around himself. Wore an extra layer too.

“I saw airplanes passing through the sky today,” he tells his father, who is tidying some of his notes up on the table, doing a makeshift binding to hold the papers together before they can compile everything into a manuscript by the end of the trip. The blue flame is dancing in its lantern, illuminating words written from pure, hard work. Hyungwon rests his gaze on it.

“I saw it too,” the old man replies.

“Are they heading for the town?” Hyungwon asks worriedly, thinking of his mother at home all alone.

His father sighs wearily, and it was what Hyungwon has dreaded before even telling him about it. There is war happening in bigger towns, it has never reached the south. But with the passing airplanes Hyungwon doesn’t know what to think.

“I have not a clue, Hyungwon,” his father answers, but he looks extremely worried that Hyungwon also does not know what to say. “Let’s attend the ceremony now, and think about it later.”

There is quite a crowd outside in the courtyard. People carry their own blue glowing lanterns. The moon is high and round in the night sky, almost like it is looking over all the people outside. Hyungwon looks up at the rows of lanterns hung across the tall staircase leading to the Moon Shrine, the way up so bright because of them, the night sky glowing in blue too.

Some priests are dressed in their official black garment, complete with their headdress and staves in their hands. They are humming some kind of prayers under the sound of chatters, the metals on the staves rattling when they hit the ground with it in some kind of rhythm. Hyungwon looks for people he knows, but can’t find any among the excited crowd.

One of the shrine maidens there usher Hyungwon and his father to the gazebo overlooking the whole site, and it was the High Priestess who has invited them there.

“We officially welcome you to the blessing ceremony,” the High Priestess greets them, pouring two drinks for the two guests, polite. She is wearing one of her finer robes too, a white colored one with bluish silver embroideries of patterns over the hem of her sleeves, and a tall headdress like the one she has worn welcoming them to the place. “This marks the beginning of the Moon Ritual.”

They look out where people are clapping for the arrival of the huge cauldron filled with ink that is about to be blessed. The people move it onto a platform erected right in front of the shrine. On each corners of the square platform are sticks connected by ropes with dangling, folded white papers hanging off them. 

“I trust you have learned a lot about the life here,” the High Priestess then turns to Hyungwon’s father. “Have your daily discussions been enlightening?”

“Very,” his father replies. “The people here live in such harmony, none of the chaos back in the town.”

The woman chuckles proudly. “It is the Deity of the Moon looking over us always. The safety, security, and all that is good is only because of Her. May I ask if you have heard of the story about The Calamity?”

The old man nods, and Hyungwon guesses it’s a very popular story in the village. Like his friends have mentioned, such a cautionary tale would expectedly be repeated all the time to everyone. 

“That is a lesson,” she points out bluntly. And for some reason she looks at Hyungwon for a moment, before down at the table where dried persimmons are also served. “For us to never abandon the Moon Ritual. To give back.”

She takes a sip of the drink in her cup. Hyungwon looks down at his cup. There’s a clear liquid in there. He does not know if it is polite to ask if it is alcohol, so he doesn’t.

His father drinks too.

So instead the young man opts for the sugary treat on the table, finding it sweeter on his tongue without the bitter tea he has had before.

“Now,” she puts down her cup gently, and makes a move to get up. “Now that you have understood how things work around here, shall I finally tell you all about the Moon Ritual then? Now that you have understood how things work around here?”

“I would be pleased to hear all about it.”

She gets up, beckoning for all of them to follow.

They stand on the gazebo and the courtyard is bright with blue flames, and the bells are ringing. The people are adjusting the cauldron’s position, checking with the High Priestess.

Hyungwon watches how the moon slips its reflection on to the liquid in the cauldron, that is dark blue, so dark that it just looks black even under the light. And when the full moon’s reflection is in the center, the High Priestess raises a hand, and they let go of the cauldron.

The cauldron sits right in the middle of the platform.

Hyungwon searches the crowd, tries to look for people he knows.

Hyunwoo is nearby the gazebo, keeping watch, on duty. His hand rests lightly on the handle of his sheathed sword. And Hoseok is with the other apprentices, dressed formally too like all the other people. Kihyun on the other hand is in the crowd, and looking different. He’s dressed in a beautiful blue robe, his hair let down unlike how it’s always thrown back when he’s usually training everyday, covered in sweat.

He looks beautiful, Hyungwon dares to think, and he finds Kihyun waving at Hoseok across the crowd, smiling at the nervous man.

“Tonight, the blessing ceremony shall proceed and we shall be choosing our Engravers,” the High Priestess announces to everyone. “After the prayers for the Holy Ink, we will announce our Engravers for the ritual this time.”

Everyone nods.

The Old Shaman is there at the cauldron, wearing a headdress that has a thin veil covering his face. He waits for the people to place a wooden set of steps for him to walk on and speak enchantments into the ink. He clasps his hands together, in his grip is a wooden wand that has white streamers shaking at one end.

Murmurings come from the people and Hyungwon turns to find the Moonborn walking up the stairs, everyone moving to the side to make way for him and the two shrine maidens, Dahyun and Mina, following him from behind and their faces are powdered white, their lips painted red. Minhyuk, in his plain white robe made elaborate by complex cuttings and layers of white fabrics is wearing a white headdress now. He seems to glow among the many blue lights, his hair gleams like silver under the moonlight, he’s entrancing.

He makes way to the platform on light, trained feet that makes absolutely no sound, takes out two white fans out of his sleeves and snaps them open as he sits on his knees, holding them up in front of his face and with the two fans brought together like that, it resembles the full Moon.

“The Engravers’ role in the ritual is what it is, that is to engrave.” The Priestess starts explaining, her proud gaze set on the one performing on the shrine’s platform. “As we have mentioned before, this ritual that will last for three full moons is nothing but a prayer for lasting peace, happiness, and safety. So the very process is eliminating any traces of pain, suffering, and sadness from the village. To do that we have the Moonborn.”

She turns around to smile at the two guests, the two outsiders.

The shrine maidens have stood behind the Moonborn. And from the other gazebo across where Hyungwon is stood, some apprentices and other shrine maidens start playing musical instruments. They blow softly into their flutes, pluck at the strings on long wooden instruments, and the two shrine maidens by the Moonborn’s side produced a handheld rod of bells each, and start shaking it as a signal of the beginning of the performance. 

“No one lives without any regrets or pain in this world, do we?” She asks with a hint of an amused smile, her gaze directed at Hyungwon. It’s honestly unnerving, that Hyungwon doesn’t know what to do. He’s been keeping quiet all this time as a sign of respect around those who are older than him, but the High Priestess looks at him like she knows something that even Hyungwon doesn’t know, and is trying to coax it out of him.

The Old Shaman brings his hands up to the sky, speaking some prayers Hyungwon can’t quite make out from the distance he is standing from.

Minhyuk raises his hands, starts dancing and Hyungwon’s instantly in awe of his graceful movements, practiced delicateness of his deft fingers folding the fan close centimeter by centimeter, telling a story of moon phases, eyes looking out at the people with a rather blank expression.

The people have quietened down by this point, watching the Old Shaman lead the blessing ceremony almost in awe, with hopeful looks on their faces. The High Priestess watches with some sort of pride on her face.

“After the blessing ceremony the people will all be meeting the Moonborn to have their pain and suffering alleviated. As you can see, the Moonborn is different from other people, and when I say that it is not just their outer appearance, but they possess the blessing of immortality that the Moon has bestowed upon their kind. Moonborns are immortal due to their healing abilities. Every pain inflicted upon them is nothing compared to us mortals.

That is why Moonborns are crucial in the ritual. We will have the Engravers perform the Rites of the Tattoos with that Holy Ink before you, so when the people see the Moonborn they will release their pains and sufferings for the Moonborn to bear. All those pains are engraved in the form of tattoos on the skin. And those tattoos may grow with time, like how pain tends to grow with time. They will bear it all on their body, as a sign of respect to the blessing the Moon has given them. Moonborns are Moonborns exactly because everything that they are, come from the Moon, so this ritual is nothing but a process of giving back the blessing, to thank Her for the peace and safety, for happiness.”

Hyungwon listens intently, finally understanding the purpose of the ink in the cauldron that reflects the moon almost too perfectly it’s like the moon is in there. And when he looks at Hoseok and Kihyun they both have their heads bowed in the silence. They’re not even watching the performance.

The flute’s pitch heightens at Minhyuk’s dancing, he spins and spins on the platform, around the cauldron with his moonlike fans, moonfaced, landing on his two feet and then curling into himself and making himself smaller than he really is, fans hidden in his sleeves again. The two shrine maidens scurries to stand in front of him, obscuring him from everyone’s sight with their wide pants, ringing their bells. They’re the bamboo trees, Hyungwon’s thinking, Minhyuk’s playing the role of a Moonborn hidden in the bamboos during a moonless night.

The performance is telling a story.

“After the second full moon, we will then prepare the Moonborn for the 13 nights confinement, to allow the tattoos to grow, to bloom like how all pain bloom with passing time. And when the final full moon comes,” the High Priestess turns around with a small soft smile as she looks over her two guests. The only two outsiders who are only learning of the long tradition the village holds. “To lessen the pain the Moonborn is bearing, we will put the Moonborn to sleep, and return them to the Moon. _Forever_.”

Hyungwon tries to focus harder on the performance in an effort to avert the woman’s stare on him. He opens his mouth to say something, say what it is he is thinking— as the maidens pull at Minhyuk’s arms until he’s standing— just to voice out what it is the Priestess is trying to coax out of him but finds himself unable too. It feels like a dare.

The courtyard is filled with the people, who have lived by the ritual all their lives. Who have been waiting for the ritual solely for the reason that their pain and suffering will be lifted. And Hyungwon finally understands it now.

Minhyuk is brought to the other corner of the platform. He takes out his fans again, strikes towards the sky, and the fans open. The Moon is back again, the Calamity appeased.

“The Moon Ritual is what has turned the village into what it is today,” she mutters under the sound of chantings and prayers and the bells tinkling with the cold wind. She still holds Hyungwon’s stare. “So we do our best to ensure no interference, and the utmost respect for what has been the tradition for so many generations.”

Hyungwon swallows down the dread that is filling him up, staring at the woman in disbelief as she turns around again, walking down the steps of the gazebo like nothing is wrong.

When Hyungwon realizes how wrong everything is there, with the big cauldron of ink. When he realizes the expressions on the people’s face are just anticipation and awe for all the wrong things.

And the expressions on Hoseok and Kihyun’s are just of fear and sadness.

Minhyuk pirouettes on the tips of his toes, waves his arms with a bow and the shrine maidens moves to his sides, and their arms motion waves, like the tidal sea waves. Minhyuk slows down his movement, he closes in on himself again and looks up at the true, full moon longingly, the performance ending.

The Moonborn is breathless.

The people clap.

Minhyuk bows with the shrine maidens and his eyes gleam with pride at how the people stare up at him in admiration. His chest heaves in weariness after all the dancing, the shrine maidens leading him down the platform and to the other gazebo. Hyungwon can’t see him clearly in the distance anymore.

The High Priestess then announces to all the people the Engravers for the Moon ritual this time around. And Hoseok is one of them.

Kihyun looks at Hoseok with glistening eyes before the blue flames all around, applauding and Hoseok could only manage a strained smile at the people congratulating him, the responsibility obviously heavy for him to bear.

Everything is in a haze after the performance has ended.

At this point, Hyungwon just doesn’t understand if it is a blessing ceremony, or just a cursed, doomed ceremony for the Moonborn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just celebrated the fact that i updated on time just last chapter but then the next chapter was delayed breaking my 3 consecutive update streak lmao life got busy knowing one of the most important chapter was supposed to be posted I guess 
> 
> anyone else........... experiencing the sexual tension? 👀 you know that one part of this chapter where i wrote minhyuk 'laughs out the sound of small tinkling bells'? it always reminds me of this one time in an interview on twilight kristen stewart asked stephenie meyer how the hell was she supposed to sound like a wind chime because the description for bella swan was something like the way she speaks sounds like wind chimes LMAO so yea anyway i laugh whenever I was editing that part of the chapter and i left it like that for the same reason
> 
> despite the slow development of the story the full moon ritual is finally explained in this chapter!! it only took like /counts with my fingers/ 20k of words wow. i know everyone kinda saw something like that was coming 
> 
> anyway thank you for the comments!! You should share your thoughts on this chapter too!


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